Democrats in the House Judiciary Committee approved a universal background check bill, but rejected an amendment to alert authorities when certain buyers fail a background check — even if the buyer isn’t a legal citizen.
Republican Rep. Greg Steube introduced the amendment to H.R. 8, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019, that would require notification to specific law enforcement agencies when an individual fails a background check, and would require Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to be notified upon the failed background check of an illegal immigrant, Fox News reported.
Democrats rejected the amendment, instead passing the bill without it in a 23-15 committee vote and sending it to the House floor for a full vote.
If the Democrats really are for gun control, then why did they block an amendment that would notify @ICEgov when an illegal immigrant fails a federal background check in the process of purchasing a firearm?https://t.co/oRTQeBHsBk
— House Judiciary GOP (@JudiciaryGOP) February 19, 2019
Steube said, “Clearly, the Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee don’t care about preventing gun violence, they simply are playing politics with Americans’ Second Amendment rights. The fact that Democrats do not want law enforcement notified if an individual attempting to purchase a firearm fails a background check is truly troubling.”
He added, “In rejecting this amendment, the Democrats have shown their true colors. It is clear they are not interested in preventing gun violence or stopping the illegal purchase of firearms, but rather they are only interested in limiting the rights of law-abiding citizens to advance their own political agenda.”
Florida GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz said, “Democrats in the Judiciary Committee just voted against notifying ICE when an illegal alien fails a background check to buy a gun. They hate ICE so much that they’d keep ICE in the dark when illegals try to get guns!”
Democrats in the Judiciary Committee just voted against notifying ICE when an illegal alien fails a background check to buy a gun. They hate ICE so much that they’d keep ICE in the dark when illegals try to get guns! pic.twitter.com/WIkUDsW6FJ
— Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) February 13, 2019
Informing officials when someone doesn’t pass a background check was not the only modification that Republicans asked for. They also asked for a reduction in the fees associated with background checks and transfers, but that was also rejected by Democrats.
If the bill manages to pass the hurdle of a Republican-majority Senate, it would be a huge sweep for Democrat gun control efforts.
Rep. Val Demings said, “This isn’t a debate, it’s a show. Let’s move forward.”
A Center for Gun Policy and Research and the Violence Prevention Research Program study conducted in early February indicated that stricter background checks have very little effect on reducing gun violence.
