Guns-rights issue inflames House Appropriations meeting

{mosads}Another amendment, pushed by the National Rifle Association and sponsored by Rep. Denny Rehberg (R-Mont.), would prevent any funds from being used to require gun retailers to report sales of shotguns or rifles to the federal government. This too sparked impassioned debate on both sides.

Moran said that the amendment would contribute to drug-related violence in Mexico since it would ensure someone can buy 1,000 “long guns” in less than 5 days without the government knowing about it.

Democrats said the main target of the amendment is related to a new rule for border states targeted at Mexican gun violence, and noted that multiple handgun sales are already required to be reported to the federal government.
 
The Commerce, Justice Science bill, reported out of full commmittee Wednesday, provides $50.2 billion in funding, a cut of $3.1 billion from current levels and $7.4 billion below President Obama’s budget request. The bill’s funding is below 2008 spending levels, slashing Justice Department grants to states and cities by $1.1 billion below last year’s level and $1.3 billion below the Obama request.
 
The National Aeronautic and Space Administration’s budget is cut by $1.6 billion, or $1.9 billion below the request. The end of the space shuttle accounts for $1 billion in savings, and appropriators have decided to kill the James Webb Space Telescope. Attempts to restore NASA funding by Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) were rebuffed.
 
The National Science Foundation also sees a cut of $907 million compared to Obama’s request, which he has insisted will help “Win the Future” through innovation.
 
Cuts to local law enforcement are particularly controversial. Wolf said that if more funding becomes available, he would work to increase funding for local law enforcement and for a program that enables the federal government to assist in keeping criminal aliens out of the U.S.
 
Rep. Chaka Fattah (D-Pa.) offered an amendment to give $35 million to the COPS program that funds the hiring of additional police officers, and which was defunded in the bill, but the amendment was defeated.
 
Wolf said that he was supportive of COPS but objected to the offset Fattah came up with — to take money from an asset forfeiture fund also used by law enforcement.

Story was updated at 2:05 pm