New plan being proposed to “hold firearm manufacturers accountable”

WASHINGTON D.C. — Some House Democrats are pushing new legislation that they believe would make sure the gun industry take responsibility for preventing the use of its products in crimes.

This latest effort comes after a House Committee on Oversight and Reform investigation into the firearms industry and a series of high-profile mass shootings this year.

“Number one is just holding gun manufacturers accountable,” said Dion Green. “It’s just, it’s just another day to them but it’s, it’s our life to us.”

Dion Green is a survivor and a victim of a mass shooting. Green and his father were in Dayton’s Oregon district when a gunman started shooting in 2019. He survived but his father didn’t.

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With this latest effort, the Firearm Industry Crime and Trafficking Accountability Act would require every firearm manufacturer to create a monitoring system to track crimes committed with guns they have sold, using ATF gun trace data.

Another bill is the Firearm Industry Fairness Act, which would impose a 20% tax on the total revenue for manufacturers who make assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.

Lawmakers say this money would be used to prevent gun violence and support victims.

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“As I’ve been in this fight, I’ve seen loved ones that have lost their loved ones, and they don’t have the sufficient funds to be able to move forward, or all expenses, mental health, and stuff like that,” said Green.

The National Shooting Sports Foundation is a firearms trade group.

“This is an industry that is protected by the Constitution. We provide the means for law-abiding citizens to exercise their Second Amendment rights,” said Mark Oliva, managing director of public affairs at the National Shooting Sports Foundation.

Oliva believes the focus should be placed elsewhere.

“We’re talking about inanimate objects. These inanimate objects don’t act upon themselves. there are criminals who are misusing these items and using them to harm others,” said Oliva.

The House Committee on Oversight and Reform also released a report that shows five of the largest gun manufacturers in the U.S. did not track crimes associated with their guns.

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