Group Releases Ad Praising Congressman Mike Ferguson's
Stand On Gun Show Background Checks

Americans for Gun Safety Says Terrorist Access at Gun Shows
Makes Issue Urgent

Washington, DC—Noting two recent cases where terrorists operating in the United States have been able to buy weapons at gun shows without undergoing a background check, Americans for Gun Safety (AGS) today released an ad praising Rep. Mike Ferguson (R-NJ) for his work on behalf of a measure that would close the gun show loophole by requiring background checks for all sales at gun shows.

	Read the ad in PDF format  help with PDF files

"Congressman Ferguson deserves enormous credit for the work that he has done on this issue," said AGS Congressional Affairs Director Michael Harrington. "We can finally close this absurd and gaping loophole in our gun laws and lock terrorists out of gun shows if enough Members of Congress like Mike Ferguson stand up and say 'enough is enough.' "

This round of ads highlights Rep. Ferguson and his work in support of the Castle-McCarthy bill (H.R. 2377), which would require background checks for all gun sales at gun shows. Castle-McCarthy is the House counterpart to the McCain-Lieberman bill in the Senate. Senator McCain and his Republican co-sponsor, Mike DeWine, recently told their colleagues that they intend to move their bill on the first appropriate homeland security measure that comes up in the Senate early next year.

Under the Brady Law, people buying guns from licensed dealers must undergo a criminal background check. In most states, however, anyone can buy a gun at a gun show from a private seller without undergoing a background check. "At gun shows, we basically have an honor system for terrorists and criminals," Harrington noted.

AGS says that the Ferguson ad is the first in what will be a series of ads praising Members of Congress for their stand on gun show background checks. "Members like Mike Ferguson should know that we will support them wholeheartedly for taking a responsible stand on this important and urgent issue," Harrington said. "And it's not just AGS—the vast majority of voters in New Jersey and around the country support closing the gun show loophole. Our national polling has shown support for this kind of common sense gun safety measures tops 80% even among gun owners."

Harrington also noted that this issue is "particularly crucial to the people of New Jersey." Federal law enforcement has said that gun shows are the second leading source of firearms recovered in gun trafficking investigations. And while New Jersey requires background checks at gun shows, most other states do not. This is one reason that New Jersey has been flooded with out-of-state guns used in crime—in fact, New Jersey leads the nation in out-of-state crime guns.

The Ferguson ad is running this week in three newspapers in Ferguson's district. A copy of the ad and more information on the gun show background check bills is available at www.americansforgunsafety.com.

Americans for Gun Safety is a non-partisan, not-for-profit advocacy organization that supports the rights of individuals to own guns but seeks better laws and better enforcement of existing laws in order to keep guns out of the hands of criminals. The advertisement and further information about the gun show loophole is available on the AGS website: www.americansforgunsafety.com.

 
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