(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – Congressman Jamie Raskin (MD-08) joined Members of the House Judiciary Committee, led by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) and Crime Subcommittee Chairwoman Karen Bass (D-CA), in sending a letter to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to seek answers regarding the measures the agency has undertaken to keep untraceable homemade firearms from falling into the wrong hands during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the letter, the members wrote, “While the surge in firearm sales from federally licensed dealers has received nationwide attention, at least 16 companies that sell ghost gun kits have reported order backlogs and shipping delays due to overwhelming demand.   The uptick in sales of ghost gun kits and parts have received substantially less notice, even though the increase in sales of ghost guns poses a direct threat to public safety and law enforcement… Because the proliferation of ghost guns is a serious problem, we write to request…information and documentation to probe how the ATF is monitoring, overseeing, and regulating the sale of ghost gun kits and unfinished frames and receivers, amid the COVID-19 pandemic.”

The letter was signed by Chairman Nadler, Subcommittee Chairwoman Bass, and Representatives Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Henry C. "Hank" Johnson, Jr. (D-GA), Ted Deutch (D-FL), David N. Cicilline (D-RI), Eric Swalwell (D-CA), Ted Lieu (D-CA), Jamie Raskin (D-MD), Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Val Demings (D-FL), J. Luis Correa (D-CA), Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA), Sylvia R. Garcia (D-TX), Joe Neguse (D-CO), Lucy McBath (D-GA), Madeleine Dean (D-PA), Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (D-FL), and Veronica Escobar (D-TX). 

Full text of the letter to the ATF is available here.

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