Release: NJ Senator Bob Menendez Seeks to Ban 3D Printed ‘Ghost Guns’
Russ Chastain 07.25.18
New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez (D) has called on the U.S. Secretary of State to get busy banning more guns. Kinda. What has his drawers in a bunch is the recent settlement in a legal case regarding 3D-printed guns and the availability of their plans online. I reported on that here.
In his press release (quoted below), Menendez claims that “criminal and terrorist organizations” will use 3D printing to “obtain untraceable weapons.” I don’t believe that is going to happen.
Look around, folks. Bad guys have guns already. And they got them a lot more easily than downloading plans online and making them with a costly machine and some time-consuming work. No, they buy their guns.
But I’m preaching to the choir here. Read the release for yourself below, and expect some sort of new restriction on our rights to result from this crap.
‘Merica.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 25, 2018CONTACT
Juan Pachon 202-224-4651
Tricia_Enright@menendez.senate.govMenendez Calls on Secretary Pompeo to Stop Online Posting of Do-it-Yourself, 3-D Printable Gun Blueprints
Sudden settlement by State Department will allow public release of 3-D printable firearm plans starting August 1
Ghost guns are untraceable, no background check required
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bob Menendez, Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today called on U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to immediately intervene and review the surprising and sudden decision by his department to allow online public posting of 3-D printable gun blueprints in the next few days.
‘It is hard to see how making it easier for criminal and terrorist organizations to obtain untraceable weapons is in the foreign policy and national security interests of the United States,’ said Sen. Menendez in a letter to Secretary Pompeo. ‘Moreover, the domestic risk cannot be understated, especially with the high rates of gun violence in our schools, churches, clubs and public gathering places.’
Late last month, the Department of State suddenly settled a years-long lawsuit brought by gun activist Cody Wilson that began after the federal government blocked his company’s website, Defense Distributed, for posting directions for a 3-D plastic printable pistol, citing international export law. According to news reports, as part of the settlement, the State Department will allow the company to begin posting do-it-yourself 3-D printable firearms blueprints by issuing a special exemption by July 27.
The Senator called on Pompeo to immediately review and reconsider the Department’s position, asserting it runs afoul of federal law: ‘Once posted on the Internet, these files will be shared, downloaded, and used to create firearms. As such, this action is tantamount to a permanent removal of an item from the United States Munitions List, but without the 30-day notice to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and House Foreign Affairs Committee as required by the Arms Export Control Act.’
A copy of the letter is below.
Dear Secretary Pompeo:
The Department of State is about to permit the public, worldwide release of dangerous information on the 3D printing of functional firearms that are undetectable by standard security measures. Such a release would allow any foreign or domestic person, including arms traffickers, terrorists, transnational criminals, and domestic abusers to effectively ‘download’ a gun, making it much easier to evade security measures and obtain a weapon. This decision is not only alarming and irresponsible, but one that appears to evade statutory requirements and skirts an ongoing regulatory review process.
Recently, the Department settled a lawsuit by a U.S. firm seeking to post blueprints and other information on the Internet that would allow anyone with a 3D printer to create plastic firearms. Based on reports of the terms of the settlement, the Department has now agreed that the information can be exempt from the export licensing requirements of the International Trafficking in Arms Regulations (ITAR). Even more troubling, the Department also agreed to temporarily suspend the relevant ITAR restrictions to allow this otherwise prohibited dissemination.
Yet this ‘temporary’ suspension will effectively allow a permanent and continuing export. Once posted on the Internet, these files will be shared, downloaded, and used to create firearms. As such, this action is tantamount to a permanent removal of an item from theUnited States Munitions List, but without the 30-day notice to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and House Foreign Affairs Committee as required by the Arms Export Control Act.
It is hard to see how making it easier for criminal and terrorist organizations to obtain untraceable weapons is in the foreign policy and national security interests of the United States. This action by the State Department makes the work of U.S. and international law enforcement and counter-terrorism agencies — and the U.S. Transportation Security Agency — all the more difficult and heightens the risk to innocent Americans and others from terrorist and extremist attacks. Moreover, the domestic risk cannot be understated, especially with the high rates of gun violence in our schools, churches, clubs and public gathering places. The release of these blueprints permits anyone, even those banned from gun ownership due to a criminal conviction, to build their own gun. These ‘ghost guns’ also pose a problem for law enforcement as such firearms lack a serial number and are thus untraceable.
Given the far-reaching and dangerous consequences of this decision, I urge you to immediately review and reconsider the Department’s position, and to ensure that this and any other decision regarding arms export control complies fully with the letter and spirit of the Arms Export Control Act. Further, any release should not occur until the Department, Congress, and the public have ample time to review the consequences of this action.
Sincerely,
