Pro-gun lawmakers suddenly really worried about Hunter Biden's gun purchase

Twenty-four House Republicans who voted against expanding background checks for people who purchase firearms have signed a letter calling on David Chipman, President Joe Biden’s nominee to lead the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives to investigate a gun purchase by Biden’s son Hunter.

The letter, dated April 26 and printed on Good’s official letterhead, asks Chipman to “publicly commit to investigate allegations that Hunter Biden falsified information during a background check in order to illegally obtain a firearm should you be confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the Director” of the agency.

The members cite a Politico report about an alleged incident involving the younger Biden’s personal gun; the report mentions that Politico had obtained the Firearms Transaction Record for the gun, dated Oct. 12, 2018, and that Biden had answered no to the question “Are you an unlawful user of, or addicted to, marijuana or any depressant, stimulant, narcotic drug, or any other controlled substance?”

Politico noted that Biden had been discharged in 2013 from the Naval Reserve after testing positive for drugs, and that a no answer, if untruthful, would be felony. It does not suggest that Biden did commit a crime.

Echoing the Politico report, the House Republicans note, “Sadly, lying on background checks is common, often called ‘lying and trying,’  but rarely prosecuted.”

They add, “Dating back to a report you commissioned during your time at ATF, it is estimated that 10-20 percent of people denied gun purchases ended up committing a crime involving a firearm later.”

In addition to Good, the letter is co-signed by Reps. Brian Babin (TX), Scott DesJarlais (TN), Andy Biggs (AZ), Jeff Duncan (SC), Lauren Boebert (CO), Louie Gohmert (TX), Ted Budd (NC), Paul Gosar (AZ), Andrew Clyde (GA), Marjorie Taylor Greene (GA), Glenn Grothman (WI), Doug LaMalfa (CA), Andy Harris (MD), Mary Miller (IL), Yvette Herrell (NM), Barry Moore (AL), Jody Hice (GA), Ralph Norman (SC), Ronny Jackson (TX), Scott Perry (PA), Pete Sessions (TX), Greg Steube (FL), and Randy Weber (TX).

All of the House members who signed the letter voted against H.R. 8, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act, which passed on March 11 by a vote of 227-203. Jared Golden of Maine was the only House Democrat who voted against the bill; eight Republicans voted for it.

If passed, the bill would require background checks for nearly all gun purchases, including private sales like those done at gun shows. Currently such sales are allowed without background checks due to an existing loophole in the law.

After passage in the House, the bill faces an uphill fight for passage in the Senate before it can become law.

Good falsely claimed in March that passage of the bill would create a “de facto gun registry” in America, a falsehood also promoted by the NRA.

Good said, “This bill creates a de facto gun registry by involving the federal government in every gun transfer, including private transfers and gifts, or else how will we enforce these requirements? For my Democrat friends who suggest that conservatives and gun owners are paranoid about a national registry, you bet we are.”

Boebert tweeted, “Universal Background Checks on law-abiding gun owners is a non-starter. We should start discussing universal background checks for the thousands of people pouring across our borders. Watch how quickly background checks would become ‘racist’ to Democrats.”

Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.