7/30/2019 Senate Letter Addressing No Votes on Manchin-Toomey

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May1,2013

DearSenator:

OnbehalfoftheNationalTaskForcetoEndSexualandDomesticViolence,acoalitionof

morethan1300state,local,nationalandTribalorganizationsupportingmillionsofvictims

ofsexualanddomesticviolence,wearewritingtoexpressourdeepconcernand

disappointmentthatSenatorslikeyourselfhavenottakenthelethalimpactoffirearms

violenceindomesticviolence,datingviolence,sexualassault,andstalkingcasesseriously.

WecannotunderstandwhyyouvotedagainsttheManchin-Toomeyamendment,a

common-sense,bipartisanproposaltoclosetheloopholesthatmakeitalltooeasy

forcriminaloffenderstoobtainfirearmsandammunitionthatendangersthesafety

ofvictimsofdomesticandsexualviolenceandtheirchildren. Yourvoteagainstthis

proposaldemonstratesafundamentaldisregardofthesafetyofthesevictims.Yourfailure

tosupportuniversalbackgroundchecksgivesencouragementtoabuserswhohaveno

qualmsaboutusingfirearmsagainsttheirownintimatepartnersandfamilies.

Researchshowsthatfirearmspossessionbythosewhocommitsexualanddomestic

violencecrimesisanindicatoroflethality(causingdeath). Morethanthreetimesas

manywomenaremurderedbygunsusedbytheirhusbandsorintimateacquaintancesthan

aremurderedbystrangersguns,knives,orotherweaponscombined.[1]Infact,ofthe

almost1,500femaleskilledwithafirearminoneyear,nearlytwo-thirdswerekilledby

theirintimatepartners.[2]Accesstofirearmsyieldsamorethanfive-foldincreaseinriskof

intimatepartnerhomicidewhenconsideringotherfactorsofabuse,accordingtoarecentstudy,suggestingthatabuserswhopossessgunstendtoinflictthemostsevereabuseon

theirpartners.[3]Theintersectionbetweenfirearmsviolenceandsexualanddomestic

violencecannotbeoverstated.

Therealproblemthatweseedailyinourworkisthattoomanyoffendersareeasilyableto

obtainfirearmsthroughprivatesalesandtransfers,eventhoughtheyshouldbeprohibited

underfederallawfromdoingso.TheNationalInstantCriminalBackgroundCheck

Systemandstatelawenforcementandcourtpersonnelaretoounder-resourcedto

ensurethatNICSalwayshasthedataneededtofulfillitsgoal:toidentifydomestic

violenceoffendersprohibitedfrompossessing,transferringorpurchasing.

TheNationalInstantCriminalBackgroundCheckSystemhasshownitcanworkwherestateshavethecapacitytouploadcriticaldata.Sinceitsinceptionin1998,NICShasblocked

morethantwomillionattemptedgunsalestoprohibitedpurchasers. Domesticviolence

prohibitionsaresecondonlytofeloniesasabasisforNICSdenialsatfederally

licensedfirearmsdealers.Instatesthatrequireabackgroundcheckforevery

handgunsale,38percentfewerwomenareshottodeathbyintimatepartners. [4]

Althoughfederalfirearmslawprohibitspersonssubjecttoqualifyingprotectionorders

frompossessing,transferringorpurchasingafirearmforthedurationoftheorder(18

7/30/2019 Senate Letter Addressing No Votes on Manchin-Toomey

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U.S.C.922(g)(8)),thatlawisrenderedmeaninglessbecausestateslackthefundingto

ensurethatprotectionorderdataisenteredintotheNationalCrimeInformationCenter

database.Thesameproblemexistsforpersonsconvictedofmisdemeanorcrimesof

domesticviolence,personswhoareprohibitedfrompossessing,transferringorpurchasing

firearmsunderfederallaw(18U.S.C.922(g)(9)).From1998to2001,morethan2,800

peoplewithmisdemeanordomesticviolenceconvictionswereabletopurchaseguns

withoutbeingidentifiedbytheNationalInstantCriminalBackgroundCheckSystem.[5]

WebelievethattheSenateshouldre-visitlegislationrequiringuniversalbackground

checksforprivateandinternetfirearmsandammunitionsales.Additionally,such

legislationshouldprovidefundingandresourcestostatestoensuretheyhavethe

capacitytouploadcriticaldatathattheFBIandATFneedtoenforceexistinglaws.We

alsobelieveexpandedpenaltiesforthirdpartytransfersmustallowforadefenseof

duressduetodomesticviolence,sincesomanyvictimsofdomesticviolenceare

forced,bytheirabusers,tomakestrawpurchasesforthem.Finally,inorderforany

oftheseprovisionstoprovidemeaningfulprotection,enforcementofthese

provisionsmustbeadequatelyfunded.

YourearliervoteonthisissuecausedthoseofuswhoaremembersoftheNationalTask

ForcetoEndSexualandDomesticViolencegreatconcern.However, youstillhavean

opportunitytostandupforvictimsofdomesticanddatingviolence,sexualassault

andstalkingbyworkingtore-introduceandvoteforstronglegislationimproving

resourcesforthebackgroundchecksystem .Ourgrassrootsmemberswillbereaching

outtoyoutoenactlegislationthatprotectsvictimsofdomesticviolence,datingviolence,

sexualassault,andstalkingfromgunviolence.Welookforwardtoworkingwithyouin

supportofthesolutionswehaveoutlinedabove.

Sincerely,

TheMemberOrganizationsofthe

NationalTaskForcetoEndSexualandDomesticViolence

[1]ViolencePolicyCenter.(2004).WhenMenMurderWomen:AnAnalysisof2002HomicideData:

FemalesMurderedbyMalesinSingleVictim/SingleOffenderIncidents.

[2]ViolencePolicyCenter.(2004).WhenMenMurderWomen:AnAnalysisof2002HomicideData:

FemalesMurderedbyMalesinSingleVictim/SingleOffenderIncidents.

[3]J.C.Campbell,J.C.,Webster,D.,Koziol-McLain,J.andetal.(2003).RiskFactorsForFemicideinAbusiveRelationships:ResultsFromAMulti-SiteCaseControlStudy.AmericanJournalofPublicHealth.93(7).

[4]GeneralAccountingOffice.(2002).OpportunitiestoCloseLoopholesintheNationalInstant

CriminalBackgroundCheckSystem.ReporttotheRankingMember,CommitteeontheJudiciary,

HouseofRepresentatives.