King Named Co-Chairman of Congressional Task Force on Illegal Guns
Will Work Closely with Mayor Bloomberg, Commissioner Kelly

January 23, 2007

For Immediate Release                                               
Contact Carol Danko
202-225-7896

WASHINGTON – U.S. Representative Pete King (R-Seaford) joined New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg and New York Police Commissioner Ray Kelly today in announcing the formation of the Congressional Task Force on Illegal Guns. The Task Force is a bipartisan coalition in the House of Representatives formed to aid city, state, and federal officials in combating illegal gun trafficking.

“Keeping illegal guns out of our communities and off our streets takes a joint effort between all levels of government,” said Rep. King. “I plan to continue to work closely with Mayor Bloomberg and Commissioner Ray Kelly to ensure that Congress provides them with the proper tools and information to track, prevent, and stop the trafficking of illegal weapons.”

The Task Force will work closely with the coalition of Mayors Against Illegal Guns to ensure that cities have the tools and resources they need to keep their citizens safe.  Current legislation puts federal restrictions on access to “trace data” – information used to track the distributor and the date and location of purchase. The Task Force will make legislation to ease the flow and access of trace data a top priority. It will also focus on legislation to keep guns out of the hands of criminals and hold gun traffickers accountable with stricter penalties.

“New York City is the safest big city in the nation, and I intend to keep it that way” said Rep. King. “Congress has a responsibility to pass laws that keep Americans safe from crime, and block those that add further obstacles to law enforcement.”

Rep. King has a long-standing record of supporting legislation against illegal guns. He has authored the Detectives Nemorin and Andrews Anti-Gun Trafficking Act of 2006 in honor of two NYPD detectives slain during and illegal weapons bust. This bill provides prosecutors with more tools and tougher penalties to crack down on illegal gun traffickers.

In addition, he has introduced legislation to mandate that the national instant criminal background check system (NICS) preserve records on approved gun transfers for individuals linked to terrorist groups and gangs until the records were transferred to the FBI.

Rep. King will co-chair the Task Force with three other members of Congress: Rep. Charles B. Rangel (D-NY), Chair of Ways and Means Committee; Rep. John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI), Chair of the Committee on the Judiciary; and Rep. Mark S. Kirk (R-IL), a member of the Appropriations Committee. Rep. King is the ranking member on the Homeland Security Committee.

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