President Trump addresses the shooting in Parkland, Florida, from the White House. (Photo: Twitter)
President Trump signaled this week that he supports bipartisan legislation to “fix” the nation’s background check system.
“While discussions are ongoing and revisions are being considered, the President is supportive of efforts to improve the federal background check system,” said Principal Deputy Press Secretary Raj Shah in a statement Monday.
Known as the Fix NICS Act, the legislation seeks to ensure federal and state authorities are submitting relevant mental and criminal history records to the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS).
Sponsors of the bill include John Cornyn (R-TX), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Tim Scott (R-SC), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Orrin Hatch (R-UT), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Dean Heller (R-NV), and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH).
Bullet points for the Fix NICS Act:
- Requires federal agencies and states to produce NICS implementation plans focused on uploading all information to the background check system showing that a person is prohibited from purchasing or possessing firearms under current law—including measures to verify the accuracy of records.
- Holds federal agencies accountable if they fail to upload relevant records to the background check system through public reporting and prohibiting bonus pay for political appointees.
- Rewards states who comply with their NICS implementation plans through federal grant preferences and incentives, while increasing accountability through public reporting for those who do not comply with their plans.
- Reauthorizes and improves important law enforcement programs to help state governments share relevant criminal record information with NICS.
- Creates a Domestic Abuse and Violence Prevention Initiative to ensure that states have adequate resources and incentives to share all relevant information with NICS showing that a felon or domestic abuser is excluded from purchasing firearms under current law.
- Provides important technical assistance to federal agencies and states who are working to comply with NICS record-sharing requirements.
Fix NICS is also backed by the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the firearms industry trade association.
Many will argue that this is a step in the right direction. But it’s not the type of reform that will stop a determined and resourceful mass killer from shooting up a school.
To that end, Trump has intimated that he will be having that conversation in the weeks to come.
“Our administration is working closely with local authorities to investigate the shooting and learn everything we can,” said the president in a statement last Thursday. “We are committed to working with state and local leaders to help secure our schools, and tackle the difficult issue of mental health.”
SEE ALSO NSSF: Fix NICS Act is ‘Not Gun Control’
“Later this month, I will be meeting with the nation’s governors and attorney generals, where making our schools and our children safer will be our top priority,” he continued. “It is not enough to simply take actions that make us feel like we are making a difference. We must actually make that difference.”
The only thing that will make a difference is arming/training teachers and/or ramping up armed security at schools. Everything else is window dressing. Si vis pacem, para bellum. If we want peace in our schools, we better prepare to go to war against these would-be murderers. Violence is the only language they understand. Let us be firm and unflinching in how we speak to them.
BE AWARE: a MISDEMEANOR domestic abuse record negates ownership of a firearm, THOUGH NOT A FELONY IN ITSELF. The Lautenberg Amendment made it so years ago and that law is also RETROACTIVE, which is an affront to our Constitution and Bill of Rights, EX POST FACTO. I believe there is a box to check on the 4473 form concerning domestic violence when buying a firearm.
PERSONALLY, I abhor those who commit domestic battery and wish they were shot during the act by their partner.
Consider, however, that a similar law were passed concerning drunk driving: DRIVE DRUNK AND YOU LOSE YOUR RIGHT TO OWN OR USE A CAR – AND, BY THE WAY, IF IN THE PAST YOU WERE CONVICTED OF DRUNK DRIVING, YOU CAN NO LONGER OWN OR DRIVE A CAR OR BUY GASOLINE!
Laws have consequences. be aware.
Retroactive and ex post facto, indeed. While we’re at it, let’s also call it for what it is…DISCRIMINATORY! The Lautenberg Amendment disproportionately affects those of lesser means.
In the past, when someone was wrongly charged with misdemeanor domestic violence, those without the financial means to hire a lawyer may have just taken a conviction rather than fight it and spending thousands to get the charge dismissed or downgraded…it’s only a misdemeanor, right? It couldn’t possibly be enough to seriously affect that person’s future, right?
An individual with the financial means would be more likely to fight the charge, getting it dismissed or reduced to a less serious charge since they can afford the high cost of expert legal counsel.
That’s the insidious nature of retroactive laws…charged with such a crime, one might much more vigorously defend themselves against such a charge if they knew that it would have such far reaching effect on their lives in the future. Otherwise, one may just pay the fine, accept the charge, and move on, none the wiser that not fighting the charge would lead to something as serious as the loss of a God given constitutional right in the future.
Plus, most of us know how easy it is for domestic violence laws to be weaponized by individuals who may misuse the law in a vindictive manner to get back at partner, spouse, or significant other. Sometimes all it takes is an untrue allegation to have someone charged with domestic violence.
In the case of both domestic violence and “red flag” laws, the only way to bring back the balance of justice is to VIGOROUSLY prosecute those who knowingly make false allegations in an attempt to manipulate the legal system to take away the rights and freedoms of others.
This Fix National Instant Check System bill will do nothing. I called my Congress Representative and told them to vote against it. We already have all the laws we need but they are not being enforced too many times. I heard some States were not reporting over 75% of the felonies that would prohibit people who should be on the no buy gun list when they are already required by law to do so. Just enforce the laws we already have.
There is and never will be any law that prevents a crime! When you can control the human mind from afar let me know because that’s what it will take, robots with commanders with the remote. Humans have killed other humans since the days of Cain and Able, it’s a part of the human animal!
So, are you suggesting we don’t have any laws at all? People are going to commit crime anyways, so we should be governed by anarchy? Typical militaristic retort.
How many more laws do you want?
The kid in FL, violated at least half a dozen, what the person you quoted is saying is that if the violated that many, what will this piece of trash do?
This bill will do no good, it will only harm those willing to abide by the laws.
GA censors any opinion that doens’t fit their narrative.
This is Bullsh*t!!!!! Can’t believe that President Trump is Caving to these liberal D-Bags!!!!! He Should have told Them to Go Pound Sand!!!! Why Not look or Investigate What kind of Prescriptions/Anti-depressants these Whack Job Kids who are Shooting Up these schools are on??
But No, Let’s Blame a Gun…. That makes sense…. More than 3000 Kids/teenagers are killed in vehicle accidents each year, but do they blame the auto manufacturers?? How come We have Guns that Protect the President, Congress, Banks, Court Houses and Some Businesses… But leave the Kids a Sitting Duck for a Nut Job with a Firearm to Pick Them Off!!!!! If You Want to Blame Anyone… Blame Joe Biden.. He Signed the Safe Act and Ultimately made these Kids His Victim’s!!!!!! Great Job Joe 🖕
Really get tired of you idiots constantly screaming liberal this, liberal that, as the ONLY ones behind gun control. For your information, I’m a liberal and own several guns with CC permit. So are the majority of my friends and we ALL believe in the 2nd amendment. What you are intentionally leaving out is there are conservatives out there who also believe in gun control and are within that group. Ok rant over.
Ditto, with military (USMC) and a law enforcement (NYPD) background.
They left out a very important thing on this list of improvements for NICS. Anyone taking any medical for mental/psychiatric issues should not be able to purchase guns. I believe almost all, if not all, major school shooters were on some kind of mind altering drug prescribed by a doctor. Many other teen shooters were also on drugs, such as the teen that lived with his grandparents, got out of bed during the night and shoot and killed both his grandparents in their bed using a .410 shotgun. Doctors prescribing those drugs should be required to report them, but with the provision that they can be removed from the “no buy” list when they have been off all such drugs for at least a year. The main stream media, as well as most politicians are focusing on the mental illness aspect while ignoring the drug aspect.
Many law enforcement officers take anti depressants, carry a gun every day and cause no harm. Your ignorance regarding anti depressants and other medications is scary. The danger posed by an individual should be a concern which their doctor should address, change as the need arises. Your response is one of ignorance and fear. I would suggest that you get educated on the subject and not just spout emotionally charged rhetoric.
The Trump administration must fix its sights on this issue alone and not be distracted by uneducated comments from the libtards. We all know that the majority of mass shootings were perpetrated by mentally unstable and sick people. Gun, all guns, for this matter, all things used to murder many people were used by the sickos. By our diligence in ferreting out the mentally unfit and the terrorists, we will reduce the mass casualties, not by restricting or destroying our rights.
I definitely don’t like the NIKS set up it totally screws me over I have been a law-abiding citizen my whole life I am 55 years old I have never ever even came close to a felony but everytime I go to purchase a firearm I get delayed and in my state I have to wait 10 full days unless of course Nicks finally gets a hold of my state over my information so they can proceed with it!, it sucks!
Mark,
You might want to get with the NICS folks concerning that. I have a friend that had the same issue. He contacted NICS and evidently his information was close to another person that was prohibited and it always resulted in a delay. NICS issued a Unique Personal Identification Number (UPIN) to him (see field 9 on the 4473 form) and he hasn’t been delayed since. As an aside, he said that the NICS people were very helpful.
At least you know you can get your weapon in 10 days. I bought from Sportsman’s Warehouse and they refuse to release a weapon until they get a PROSEED from NICS. I have been 40 days and on my second back ground check as they are only good for 30 days. The second check came back as DELAYED also.
Have to get California on board to upload mental illness records…
I am still concerned that the ATF is using the NICS to create a database, although that is supposed to be illegal. The details in the comment section of the other linked article on this subject are spooky, if true. See here: https://www.gunsamerica.com/blog/nssf-fix-nics-act-not-gun-control/
I guess that doesn\’t include HR38 and S.446 in the package like the original plan.
Of course it’s not going to fix everything and everyone, no law can, but it is a huge step in the right direction. Too many people have fallen through the cracks already (such as Texas church shooter).