by Rep. Carolyn McCarthy introduced HR 591 yesterday. It would “require criminal background checks on all firearms transactions occurring at gun shows.” The text of the bill has not yet been published.
As of yesterday, it had only one co-sponsor – Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI).
While the text of the bill hasn’t been received yet, I am presuming that this is an effort by McCarthy to play off of Mayor Bloomberg’s so-called sting operation at a Phoenix gun show in January. What makes a private sale made in the vicinity of a gun show different from any other private sale between lawful individuals is a question that only the gun controllers can answer.
When the full text is published, I will post it here.
In other McCarthy news, her magazine ban bill, HR 308, seems to have reached a high-watermark in terms of co-sponsors. It remains at 65 and has remained that way since January 26th. Of course, this number could change if President Obama were to make some forceful statement in support of the bill. And pigs could fly, too, I suppose.
Here's my question. Where does the government get the power to regulate private gun sales? The Government asserted that it had the power to license those people who particpated in interstate sales of firearms, but how do they claim purely intrastate sales are the same thing?
Gun moved in insterstate commerce (see the revised Gun free school zones law)
Sale of gun affects interstate commers (Wickard and its pogency through Raich).
Out-and-out Munchkin Con-Law
Only one co-sponsor would indicate that this bill is DOA.