Two Republicans and two Democrats took a first bipartisan step toward new gun restrictions yesterday by introducing a bill in the U.S. House to crack down on gun trafficking to criminals.
The bill, strongly backed by law-enforcement groups, would strengthen penalties on those who buy guns for people who are barred by law from buying their own weapons.
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“For too long, we have been handcuffing the wrong people. We have made it too hard for law enforcement to stop guns from getting into the hands of criminals and too easy for criminals to get their hands on guns,” said Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., who is one of the four co-sponsors.
The other sponsors are Reps. Patrick Meehan, R-Pa., Scott Rigell, R-Va., and Elijah Cummings, D-Md.
The bill is the latest of several proposals in Congress to curb gun violence since a gunman fatally shot 20 children and six adults on Dec. 14 at an elementary school in Newtown, Conn.
Sponsors of the gun-trafficking bill said its bipartisan support and heavy backing by law-enforcement groups could make it attractive to both sides in the growing gun debate.
