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Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) has been taking to social media to fight against a bill that would ease restrictions on gun silencers, something it appears she is not to knowledgable on. Which is precisely why Republican Rep. Jeff Duncan of South Carolina has invited the Senator to a date at the gun range.
Gillibrand has been trying to ward off legislation in both the House and Senate would allow gun owners to obtain suppressors without having to pay the $200 tax or go through a time-consuming background check that can take up to nine months, reports the Blaze.
I'm fighting back against bills (backed by the Trump admin) that'd make it easy for criminals to buy gun silencers. https://t.co/m1uFZNOBYI
— Kirsten Gillibrand (@SenGillibrand) March 14, 2017
The House’s Hearing Protection Act would allow for suppressors to be sold over the counter as a firearm accessory, Duncan told the Blaze in an interview Tuesday. Gun owners would still have to undergo a background check “just like you have to for a firearm,” Duncan said.
“There wouldn’t be the five background checks you have to go through now to purchase a suppressor, and there wouldn’t be a $200 tax stamp that you have to pay now,” the South Carolina lawmaker said. “It would just be an accessory purchase with a background check by a federal firearms license holder.”
Naturally, Democrats like Sen. Gillibrand have come out vocally against the bill, believing that it will help criminals avoid prosecution, reports the Blaze.
“These deadly gun silencers pose a huge risk to our enforcement and our communities and I will do everything I can to stop this ill-thought-out legislation that would allow more criminals to get their hands on these dangerous weapons,” Gillibrand said Monday, according to the Blaze.
She also took to Twitter explaining her concerns.
Can you imagine if we allowed a criminal with a gun in New York City to attach a silencer to their weapon? It'd be a dangerous mistake.
— Kirsten Gillibrand (@SenGillibrand) March 14, 2017
When someone gets shot by a gun with a silencer, it's quiet. Witnesses might not hear. Police will be less likely to track down the shooter.
— Kirsten Gillibrand (@SenGillibrand) March 14, 2017
How can we end violence in our communities if criminals can get easy access to equipment that'd make it hard for police to solve gun crimes?
— Kirsten Gillibrand (@SenGillibrand) March 14, 2017
Let's keep our communities safe from gun violence and keep gun silencers out of the hands of criminals. I hope you'll speak out on this.
— Kirsten Gillibrand (@SenGillibrand) March 14, 2017
The Blaze explains that similar to Gillibrand, New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio has raised the same concerns over the ShotSpotter technology, which is used by the NYPD to help law enforcement officials respond to shootings in the city quicker.
“Gang takedowns and innovative technology have been critical to the NYPD’s efforts to seize guns off our streets and drive violent crimes to historic lows,” de Blasio said. “Dangerous gun silencers stymie these effective tactics. We need stricter gun laws, not a rollback to the lax laws of the bad old days.”
According to the Blaze, Rep. Duncan has dismissed the premise presented by the left and Gillibrand that the suppressors on firearms would hinder technologies ability to hear them, comparing the sound to that of a jackhammer.
“A lot of these folks have watched a lot of Hollywood movies,” Duncan said of opponents’ views on suppressors. “It’s a suppressor. It dampens the sound, but it doesn’t silence the sound.”
“A suppressor suppresses most firearms to where they’re still louder than a jackhammer,” Duncan continued. “I believe that the technology would still apply.”
The GOP Congressman also explained to the Blaze that this law would not halt criminals from obtaining a silencer if they really wanted one.
“If a criminal really wanted to use a suppressed weapon, he could already do so,” Duncan said. “You could make a suppressor in your garage with simple items. They’re not that complicated to suppress the sound. And they’re used so infrequently in crime that it is a statistical anomaly.”
The South Carolina Republican explained to the Blaze that people who are not raised around firearms often change their minds about guns and their safety after having visited a gun range. An idea which prompted him to extend an invitation to Sen. Gillibrand, via Twitter.
.@SenGillibrand this is my bill. You seem misinformed. I'd love to invite you to a firing range to demonstrate them first hand. Interested? https://t.co/Uk0Ky4pZhy
— Rep. Jeff Duncan (@RepJeffDuncan) March 14, 2017
The Blaze is reporting that the Democrats office is yet to respond to the invitation, but Duncan assured that the invitation remains open.
“I invite anybody who has issues [with guns] or wants to understand firearms or suppressors more” to visit a gun range, Duncan said.
It even appears that the National Rifle Association (NRA) has offered up its gun range as the location for the meeting.
.@RepJeffDuncan, You’re welcome to use the #NRA Range anytime to educate @SenGillibrand about suppressors… https://t.co/hfKalaSmy2
— NRA (@NRA) March 14, 2017
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