“Today I introduced the AMMO Act of 2013 with fellow Oklahoman Congressman Frank Lucas. Recent reports of the enormous stockpiles of ammo at the Department of Homeland Security goes to show we need more transparency and accountability of federal agencies’ ammunition supply. Our bill will require just that while also protecting law-abiding citizens access to these resources. I hope you will take a moment to read more about our bill here:”
Jim Inhofe
AMMO Act would limit ammo buying, storing for non-Pentagon departments and agencies
BY:
April 25, 2013 7:03 pm
Senate and House Republicans are set to introduce a joint bill Friday that would significantly limit the amount of ammunition that federal agencies are permitted to purchase and stockpile over the next six months.
The bill, authored by Sen. Jim Inhofe (R., Okla.) and Rep. Frank Lucas (R., Okla.), comes as numerous lawmakers across Capitol Hill have expressed concern that certain federal agencies, such as the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), are stockpiling high quantities of ammunition.
DHS, for instance, has placed two-years worth of ammunition, or nearly 247 million rounds, in its inventory.
Inhofe said these agencies must provide greater “transparency and accountability” over its ammo stockpiles so that the public can learn about its precise use.
“President Obama has been adamant about curbing law-abiding Americans’ access and opportunities to exercise their Second Amendment rights,” Inhofe said in a statement provided to the Washington Free Beacon. “One way the Obama administration is able to do this is by limiting what’s available in the market with federal agencies purchasing unnecessary stockpiles of ammunition.”
Dubbed the “Ammunition Management for More Obtainability Act,” or AMMO, the legislation would prevent all government agencies except for the Defense Department from purchasing and storing what lawmakers say is an excess amount of ammunition.
The bill’s reach would include DHS and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), two agencies that have found themselves at the center of the ammo controversy.
“As the public learned in a House committee hearing this week, the Department of Homeland Security has two years worth of ammo on hand and allots nearly 1,000 more rounds of ammunition for DHS officers than is used on average by our Army officers,” Inhofe said. “The AMMO Act of 2013 will enforce transparency and accountability of federal agencies’ ammunition supply while also protecting law-abiding citizens access to these resources.”
An agency covered by the legislation would not be permitted to purchase or store more ammunition than that agency retained on average between 2001 and 2009, according to an advance copy of the legislation provided to the Free Beacon.
The U.S. government is purchasing and storing millions of bullets while average Americans experience widespread shortages and soaring costs, Lucas said.
“After hearing from my constituents about the shortage of ammunition in Oklahoma and the Department of Homeland Security’s profligate purchases of ammunition,” Lucas said in a statement. “We have introduced the AMMO Act of 2013 to curtail these purchases so Americans can exercise their Second Amendment rights without being encumbered by the federal government.”
DHS officials defended the department’s ammunition purchases during a House hearing on Thursday. They maintained that the department’s stockpile of 247 million rounds of ammo is necessary and does not constitute “hoarding,” as critics have argued.
Nick Nayak, DHS’s chief procurement officer, told lawmakers that the department reserves the right to purchase 750 million rounds of ammunition over the next five years.
DHS has already purchased around 41 million rounds of ammunition this year alone, according to Nayak. Approximately $37 million in taxpayer dollars will be spent on ammunition purchases in the entirety of fiscal year 2013.
It’s “simply not true” that DHS is stockpiling ammunition, Nayak said in response to pointed questions from lawmakers.
Lucas said he was startled to learn that DHS can purchase up to 750 million rounds over ammo over the next several years.
“I was surprised to find out the DHS has the right to buy up to 750 million rounds of ammunition over the next five years, while it already has two years worth of ammo already,” Lucas said. “This is an issue that must be addressed, and I am pleased this legislation provides us the opportunity to do so.”
The AMMO Act would also compel the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to audit federal agencies purchases of ammunition.
“The Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to Congress a report regarding the purchasing of ammunition by agencies, which shall include an assessment of the effect of the purchasing of ammunition by agencies on the supply of ammunition available to the public,” the legislation states.
Replies
Why buy more, they have enough for a 20 year war as it is. This is the reason you can't buy is they are buying so dang much. It's not the people who's making ammo a shortage it's them.
ABOUT TIME SOMEONE PAID ATTENTION, NOW HOW ABOUT THE URBAN ASSAULT VEHICLES, INTERMENT CAMPS AND GULLIOTINES THAT HAVE BEEN PURCHASED????
Well this is a new item "Gulliotines"???? Are they going back to the French Revolution, Now ?????
We must get in touch with our representatives, and stay in touch, keeping them under pressure regardless of any prior stance or party. No American is benefited by such actions, and they provide a means of stockpiling enormous quantities of munitions which are accountable only to the "executive branch" once they are received.
Such stockpiles can be disbursed to "instant new members of homeland security", the people who stop getting a check when the economy collapses, and we can well face the "gangs" of America as that "civilian corps equal to the military in personnel and equipment".
There can be no doubt this is a measure taken in part to cause a shortage, moving a "bulk pack of 550 .22 bullets" from 12 bucks a box to 75, making 9mm, 5.56, .308, .40, .38 and .45 ammo simply not available to be bought, but we cannot ignore the implications of dozens of non-law related agencies having such stockpiles while "The People" are not able to buy ammo.
The executive department must have huge stockpiles of ammo if it is to suddenly recognize a "domestic threat" and in short order, triple the ranks of "homeland security" as the fomented violence ramps up, and moves across the worst hit states, "the rust belt", where the "gangs of America" form and would be the perfect "disaffected citizens" to be used to control those who produce the means of our economy, and our means of eating.
These departments have orders going out five years in the future, it is a cogent question, "why is this only being considered as a six month issue?", in the bill going before the house. We must use our power of numbers and make this accountability act become a fact.
.Did I read what I thought I read and it's implication??
"Nick Nayak, DHS’s chief procurement officer, told lawmakers that the department reserves the right to purchase 750 million rounds of ammunition over the next five years." WHAT???
Reserves the "RIGHT TO PURCHASE..."???? Since when is this a "RIGHT"?? What in hell is going on in Congress, and who granted them the "right"?? Who controls the purse strings here?? When I budget for my household, it is a "plan", and if something unforeseen comes up that demands an expenditure unplanned that outweighs the planned, GUESS WHAT?? My "right" just got overridden!! I don't see the exigency of HOLLOW POINT AMMUNITION, nor the remote requirement for it~~~unless you plan to KILL someone, and in this case, a whole lot of "someones"!! Who? Us?? Sure as hell isn't the illegals they're allowing to stream across our borders! Must be pretty thick paper they use for target practice, y'think???
Come on Congress, get off your duffs and start doing your job. Cut off the funds for this crap and stop playing games and coming up with cute acronyms for bills that mean absolutely nothing! How about this for an acronym for purchasing 1.4 BILLION rounds of hollow-points ~~NO, NO, NO! They've used every excuse in the book to cut essential services under SEQUESTRATION~~~now how about using it here if you don't have the integrity to cut it off in it's own right!