Setting the record straight: My views on Senate gun debate

By U.S. Sen. Susan Collins
(R-Maine)

    I grew up in northern Maine, where responsible gun ownership is part of the heritage of many families. Upholding this heritage is why, throughout my Senate service, I have defended our Second Amendment rights.

    Maine has one of the highest rates of gun ownership, yet the lowest rate of violent crime in our country. Mainers are guided by common sense and a strong sense of self-reliance. As I have always done, I have approached this gun control debate in the U.S. Senate with pragmatism over politics. I have had numerous helpful conversations with Maine people, including members of the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine, law enforcement officials, school superintendents, shooting victims, gun control advocates, and the NRA. I have listened carefully to a wide variety of viewpoints.
    Like everyone else, I am horrified by the tragedies that have occurred in far too many communities like Newtown, Aurora, and Tucson. But I also understand that denying the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens won’t change the behavior of those who are intent on using firearms for destructive and tragic purposes. Instead, our laws should focus on keeping guns out of the hands of criminals and individuals who have been adjudicated as being dangerously mentally ill. That is why I have worked closely with colleagues on both sides of the aisle on responsible legislation that would help to protect the innocent from violence without placing unconstitutional burdens on law-abiding gun owners.
    I do not support aspects of the bill currently before the Senate, and I will not agree with all of my colleagues who will make their arguments on the Senate floor, but I do believe that it is our responsibility to move forward and debate this important issue.
    Unfortunately, Mainers have recently been flooded by advertisements and mailings from out-of-state special interest groups that not only include distortions, but also blatant lies about my position. I want to set the record straight.
    First, I remain strongly opposed to a federal gun registry. The current system in which private licensed gun dealers retain the paperwork on gun sales works well. There are more than 500 such licensed gun dealers in Maine.
    Second, I am the coauthor, with Vermont Senator Pat Leahy, of anti-crime legislation that would strengthen current laws that prohibit an individual from deliberately purchasing a firearm on behalf of another who is already barred from buying a gun. With few exceptions, this conduct – called “straw purchasing”— is already a felony. Yet, under current law, it amounts to little more than a paperwork violation. Our bill, the Stop Illegal Trafficking in Firearms Act, would give law enforcement the tools they need to investigate and prosecute these crimes more effectively, and it would increase the penalties substantially. Our bill protects legitimate sales and does not in any way expand the definition of who is prohibited from purchasing a gun. It certainly would not create a federal gun registry. Straw purchasing and trafficking serve one purpose: to put guns in the hands of a criminal. We worked with both law enforcement officials, the NRA, and licensed gun dealers in drafting our bill.
    Third, I am reviewing closely a bipartisan agreement between Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Pat Toomey (R-PA) that appears to improve the background check system to help prevent convicted criminals and those with serious mental illness from purchasing guns without infringing on law-abiding gun owners’ Second Amendment rights. Licensed gun dealers are already required to conduct criminal background checks on potential buyers. The current system works well: it has blocked nearly two million gun purchases by felons and other prohibited buyers since its inception in 1998. Unlicensed “private sellers” of firearms, at gun shows and online, are currently not required by federal law to conduct background checks. As a result, an estimated 6.6 million guns are sold each year without a check.
    In addition, the current background check system is missing relevant state records, particularly of individuals who cannot buy a gun due to a serious mental illness that makes them a danger to themselves or others.
    The Manchin-Toomey bill proposes to improve the system by requiring a background check before a gun sale in a commercial setting, with several reasonable exceptions. For example, sales or gifts of firearms between family members would not require a background check, nor would unadvertised sales between friends. Again, the Manchin-Toomey bill would explicitly ban the federal government from creating a national registry. It would also create a National Commission on Mass Violence, which I have called for, that would study the causes of mass violence in our country, including the exposure to excessive violence in the media and a lack of mental health services, among other issues.
    Fourth, it’s critically important that we also examine whether states are reporting data on mentally ill individuals found to be a danger to themselves or others to the national background check system designed to prevent gun purchases by such individuals. As was the case in the Connecticut, Colorado, and Arizona shootings, mental illness is a common factor in many of these tragedies. Our current system is fragmented, and people with serious mental illness all too often lack access to the care that they need. We should evaluate how we as a society can better identify and care for troubled individuals who pose a threat to themselves and others. That is why I am an original cosponsor of the Excellence in Mental Health Act, a bipartisan bill that would expand access to mental health care for individuals through our nation’s Community Mental Health Centers. It would also improve the quality of mental health care by holding these centers accountable to higher standards.
    Fifth, I also believe that Congress should examine school safety. I am the lead cosponsor of the School Safety Enhancement Act, which would provide matching grants to help cover the cost of security measures in schools including installing metal detectors, training for students, teachers, and administrators, and coordinating with local law enforcement.
    I cherish the Second Amendment, just as I cherish all of the rights enshrined in the Constitution. I also believe that it is the responsibility of the Congress to work toward a common goal of reducing gun violence in our country. We can do that responsibly by working to improve our mental health care system, by keeping guns out of the hands of criminals and those who are dangerously mentally ill, and by examining the excessive violence in video games and movies. Most of all, we can accomplish these goals without placing unconstitutional burdens on law-abiding gun owners.