My Response To Senator Cornyn - Tiahrt Amendment

Dear Senator Cornyn,

I strongly disagree that harsher criminal sentences would deter the likes of would be fanatical terrorists and psychologically disturbed gunmen. In today’s age, where terror can strike anywhere and by anyone it seems imprudent of our government to restrict funding to allow law enforcement agencies and the public from utilizing critical programs that may serve to identify cases where extremely deadly weapons may fall into the wrong hands. Please consider balancing your work on upholding the 2nd Amendment with some measure of perspective. Law abiding citizens are not in danger of losing their ability to own or carry guns and the repeal of the Tiahrt amendment is not going to add undue burden on the same citizens who use guns for hunting or other recreational law abiding activities.

Furthermore, I am disappointed that the Senate Appropriations Committee voted in favor of the Tiahrt Amendment. I feel strongly about this issue and will be advising my colleagues, friends, and family to support new candidates who will put the concerns of their constituents over those with powerful and rich political and economic interests. Please refer to this NY Times article which expresses my sentiment on this issue.

On 7/6/07, SenateWebmail@cornyn.senate.gov < SenateWebmail@cornyn.senate.gov> wrote:

Dear Mr. Lopez:

Thank you for contacting me regarding the “Tiahrt Amendment.” I appreciate having the benefit of your comments on this matter.

In 2003, Representative Todd Tiahrt offered an amendment that placed several funding restrictions and conditions on Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE). This amendment prohibits the use of any funding appropriated for BATFE to disclose firearm trace or multiple handgun sales report data for any purpose other than supporting a bona fide criminal investigation or agency licensing proceeding. It would also prohibit the use of BATFE funding to issue new regulations that would require licensed dealers to conduct physical inventories of their businesses and would require the destruction of background check records within a day of their use. The BATFE compiles these records when it traces firearms in response to requests from law enforcement agencies. Although Congress has passed language to keep this information database confidential, the data is available to all federal, state and local agencies requesting information in connection with and for use in a bona fide criminal investigation or prosecution.

As a former Texas Supreme Court Justice and Attorney General, I have firsthand knowledge of crime-fighting policies that work, and I believe that citizens’ Second Amendment rights should not be restricted because of the actions of criminals. Rather, we must respect the rights of law-abiding citizens and focus our attention on the source of violent crime: criminals who use firearms to commit crimes. I believe that strictly enforcing the law and meting out longer sentences for career criminals and those who use firearms when committing crimes will reduce crime much more effectively than gun or equipment bans.

I appreciate the opportunity to represent Texans in the United States Senate, and you may be certain that I will continue working with my colleagues to uphold our Second Amendment rights. Thank you for taking the time to contact me.

Sincerely,

JOHN CORNYN
United States Senator

517 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Tel: (202) 224-2934
Fax: (202) 228-2856
http://www.cornyn.senate.gov

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