Congressman Moran's News Commentary

The threat that the 50 caliber sniper rifle poses to US security is well known. Capable of inflicting a devastatingly accurate impact from well over a mile away, the U.S. Army Handbook on Urban Combat states that the weapon is designed and intended for use to attack bulk fuel tanks and other high-value targets from great distances. A leading manufacturer of the 50 caliber even touts its ability to bring down a modern jet aircraft with ammunition that can be purchased for less than 10 U.S. dollars. Time magazine recently ran a profile detailing how the 50 caliber could be used to attack nuclear power plants.

I have introduced legislation, the “50 Caliber Sniper Rifle Reduction Act” (H.R. 654) that would prohibit the sale or transfer of 50 caliber sniper rifles and require that 50 caliber sniper rifles currently in private collections be registered under the National Firearms Act. Exemptions in the bill are made for the U.S. military and law enforcement organizations.

My main concern is that these weapons could be used against targets on American soil, in an attempt to puncture a train car carrying deadly chlorine gas, take a nuclear power plant hostage or bring down passenger airplanes during takeoff or landing. But the threat that these weapons extends even beyond our own borders.

Only a few weeks ago, a federal grand jury in Miami indicted ten foreign nationals on charges of attempting to provide support to a foreign terrorist organization. These individuals, nine of which were Colombian, the tenth a Palestinian, were apprehended through the course of a sting operation in Bogotá , Colombia . The ten individuals were attempting to smuggle illegal aliens and drugs into the US , in order to buy 50, 50 caliber rifles and two helicopters. These weapons of terror were destined for the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), a designated foreign terror organization, to be used in their guerilla war against the Colombian government and to protect their drug trade.

I’ve long been concerned that our country’s easily exploited gun laws are very attractive to both domestic and foreign terrorists. You can purchase a 50 caliber rifle as easily as a shotgun and the background checks initiated at the point of sale are destroyed after 24 hours, thanks to the Bush Administration. There is no way to know how many of these weapons are out there or who owns them.

And now we have concrete evidence that attempts by foreigners to exploit our lax gun laws are taking place. Who knows how many other transactions have been successful since 9/11. This is a gaping hole in our homeland security strategy.

The 50 caliber, in the hands of terrorists, is not only a threat to our national security; it is a threat to other countries battling the war on terror. In the case of Colombia , combining helicopters with the 50 caliber would have had terrifying consequences for the Colombian people. We have a responsibility to help protect not only the American people, but also our allies struggling to battle terrorist threats. Congress must act now to secure the 50 caliber before it is too late.