<html><body><div style="color:#000; background-color:#fff; font-family:HelveticaNeue, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, Lucida Grande, sans-serif;font-size:10pt"><h1 style="" class="" id="page-title"><span class="" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="" style="font-weight: normal;"><font style="" class="" size="2">Here is some gun control legislation I can get behind. Source: <a style="" class="" href="http://stewart.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-stewart-introduces-bill-to-de-militarize-federal-regulatory-agencies">http://stewart.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-stewart-introduces-bill-to-de-militarize-federal-regulatory-agencies</a></font></span></span><br style="" class=""></h1><div id="page-title"> </div><h1 style="" class="" id="page-title">Rep. Stewart Introduces Bill to De-Militarize Federal Regulatory Agencies</h1>
<div style="" class=""><strong style="" class="">Washington, D.C. –</strong>
Today, Rep. Chris Stewart (R-Utah) introduced the Regulatory Agency
De-militarization (RAD) Act, which stems the trend of federal regulatory
agencies developing SWAT-like teams.</div>
<div style="" class="">In recent years, numerous federal regulatory agencies – including the <a style="" class="" href="http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052970203518404577094861497383678#printMode">National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration</a>, the <a style="" class="" href="http://articles.latimes.com/2010/jul/25/business/la-fi-raw-food-raid-20100725">Food and Drug Agency</a> and the <a style="" class="" href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/blogpost/post/education-department-swat-team-raids-california-home/2011/06/08/AGUxlKMH_blog.html">Department of Education</a>
– have created their own special law enforcement teams to conduct their
own arrests and raids. This is in part a product of the 2002 Homeland
Security Act, which gave most Offices of Inspector General arrest and
firearm authority.</div>
<div style="" class="">"It's disturbing to see the stories of federal regulators armed to
the teeth and breaking into homes and businesses when there was no
reason to think there would be resistance," Stewart said.</div>
<div style="" class="">“I understand that federal agents must be capable of protecting
themselves. But what we have observed goes far beyond providing
necessary protection. When there are genuinely dangerous situations
involving federal law, that’s the job of the Department of Justice, not
regulatory agencies like the FDA or the Department of Education. Not
only is it overkill, but having these highly-armed units within dozens
of agencies is duplicative, costly, heavy handed, dangerous and destroys
any sense of trust between citizens and the federal government.”</div><div style="" class=""><br style="" class=""></div>
<div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 13.3333px; font-family: HelveticaNeue,Helvetica Neue,Helvetica,Arial,Lucida Grande,sans-serif; background-color: transparent; font-style: normal;" class=""><strong style="" class="">The <a style="" class="" href="http://stewart.house.gov/sites/stewart.house.gov/files/RAD%20Act.pdf">RAD Act</a> has three pieces</strong>:</div>
<div style="" class="">1. Repeals the arrest and firearm authority granted to Offices of Inspectors General in the 2002 Homeland Security Act.</div>
<div style="" class="">2. Prohibits federal agencies, other than those
traditionally tasked with enforcing federal law—such as the FBI and
U.S. Marshals, from purchasing machine guns, grenades, and other
weaponry regulated under the National Firearms Act.</div>
<div style="" class="">3. Directs the Government Accountability Office
(GAO) to write a complete report detailing all federal agencies,
including Offices of Inspectors General, with specialized units that
receive special tactical or military-style training and that respond to
high-risk situations that fall outside the capabilities of regular law
enforcement officers.</div><div style="" class=""><br style="" class=""></div>
<div style="" class="">“The militarization of agencies is only a symptom of a much deeper
and more troubling problem within Washington – that the federal
government no longer trusts the American people,” Stewart said. “When
all of us feel that we are no longer seen as citizens but as potential
dangerous suspects – a relationship of trust is impossible. I’m working
to restore and rebuild trust – beginning with this effort to defund
paramilitary capabilities within federal regulatory agencies.”</div><div style="" class=""><br style="" class=""></div>
<div style="" class=""><strong style="" class="">Specific examples of the militarization of federal regulatory agencies include:</strong></div>
<ul style="" class=""><li style="" class="">In July 2010, a multi-agency taskforce,
including armed officers from the Food and Drug Agency, raided a Venice,
California organic grocery store suspected of using raw milk. (<a style="" class="" href="http://articles.latimes.com/2010/jul/25/business/la-fi-raw-food-raid-20100725">LA Times</a>, July 10, 2010).</li><li style="" class="">In June 2011, armed federal agents with the Department of
Education’s OIG broke down the door of a Stockton, California home at 6
AM and handcuffed a man suspected of student aid fraud. (<a style="" class="" href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/blogpost/post/education-department-swat-team-raids-california-home/2011/06/08/AGUxlKMH_blog.html">Washington Post</a>, June 8, 2011).</li><li style="" class="">In July 2013, an armed multi-agency taskforce, including officers
from the Environmental Protection Agency, the Bureau of Land Management<strong style="" class="">, </strong>National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Park Service,
the Fish and Wildlife Service raided a small Alaska mining operation
suspected of violating the Clean Water Act. (<a style="" class="" href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/oct/11/epa-facing-fire-armed-raid-alaska-mine/?page=all">Washington Times</a>, Oct. 11, 2013).</li><li style="" class="">On May 7th, 2014, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s OIG released a <a style="" class="" href="https://www.fbo.gov/index?s=opportunity&mode=form&id=9fc3a01217d03b0354e1e18b69aa7bad&tab=core&_cview=0">solicitation</a> for submachine guns.</li></ul><div style="" class="">For the full text of the bill, <a style="" class="" href="http://stewart.house.gov/sites/stewart.house.gov/files/RAD%20Act.pdf">click here</a>.</div><div style="" class=""><br style="" class=""></div>
<div style="" class=""><strong style="" class="">Original Co-sponsors of the bill include:</strong> Representatives
Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Sam Graves (R-Mo.), Tom
McClintock (R-Calif.), Mike Pompeo (R-Kan.), Jeff Duncan (R-S.C.), Kerry
Bentivolio (R-Mich), Todd Rokita (R-Ind.), Billy Long (R-Mo.), Doug
LaMalfa (R-Calif.), Adrian Smith (R-Neb.), James Lankford (R-Okla.),
Louie Gohmert (R-Texas), Matt Salmon (R-Ariz.), Tom Rice (R-S.C.) and
Mark Amodei (R-Nev.).</div><div style="" class=""><br style="" class=""></div></div></body></html>