by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) was the first person in Congress to bring attention to Operation Fast and Furious and continues to push for answers to this day. Along with Darrell Issa and their respective staffs, he probably understands as much about Project Gunwalker as anyone. So when he comments on the new ATF requirement, it is with an in-depth understanding of the issue.
New Reporting Requirements for Federal Firearms Licensees on the Southwest Border
Senator Chuck Grassley, Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, gave the following comment after it was announced by the Justice Department that Federal Firearms Licensees along the Southwest Border would be required to report multiple long gun sales. The Judiciary Committee has primary jurisdiction over policy related to the Justice Department. Grassley is also leading an investigation into the risky strategy employed by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to allow guns to be sold to straw buyers and then watch the guns be transported to third parties without following the guns.
“We’ve learned from our investigation of Fast and Furious that reporting multiple long gun sales would do nothing to stop the flow of firearms to known straw purchasers because many Federal Firearms Dealers are already voluntarily reporting suspicious transactions. In fact, in just the documents we’ve obtained, we are aware of 150 multiple long guns sales associated with the ATF’s Fast and Furious case, and despite the fact that nearly all of these sales were reported in real time by cooperating gun dealers, the ATF watched the guns be transported from known straw purchasers to third parties and then let the guns walk away, often across the border. This makes it pretty clear that the problem isn’t lack of burdensome reporting requirements. The administration’s continued overreach with regulations continues, and is a distraction from its reckless policy to allow guns to walk into Mexico.”
