Senator Collins Urges Colleagues to Support Her Bill to Stop the Illegal Trafficking of Firearms

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Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Collins spoke from the Senate floor this afternoon to urge her colleagues to support the Stop Illegal Trafficking in Firearms Act. Senator Collins introduced this bipartisan legislation during National Police Week to help provide law enforcement officials with the necessary tools to stop the “drugs for guns” trade and deter straw purchasers and illegal weapons traffickers. The bill would crack down on gun traffickers while fully protecting the rights of the vast majority of gun owners who are law-abiding citizens.

“Straw purchasing is intended to achieve one result: to put a gun in the hands of a criminal who cannot legally obtain one. Today, traffickers exploit weaknesses in our laws by targeting individuals who can lawfully purchase guns, which are then used to commit crimes once they are transferred to the criminal who would be unable to pass the background check. Straw purchasing is a growing problem in Maine, where gang members approach addicts to buy guns in exchange for drugs,” said Senator Collins. “Our bill would create new criminal offenses for straw purchasing, which would help law enforcement officials take down these criminal enterprises.”

Click HERE for a copy of Senator Collins’ remarks as delivered

Click HERE for a one-page summary of the Stop the Illegal Trafficking of Firearms