The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence took the Obama administration to task for abandoning a campaign promise and failing to propose in its new budget repeal of the Tiahrt Amendments that require the destruction of most gun background check records under the Brady law. The Tihart measures also bar the government from requiring gun dealers to account for their firearms, and prohibit public access to some information about guns used in crime.
Brady campaign president Paul Helmke said the group is “profoundly disappointed” that Obama reaffirming much of the Tiahrt language, which Helmke said makes it “easier for criminals to obtain illegal firearms.” Helmke contended that the current policy of destroying most background check records within 24 hours “has allowed guns to remain in the hands of hundreds of criminals whose gun purchases were mistakenly approved.” Obama would slightly ease restrictions on the use of the data, to allow the tracing data to be shared with state and local officials even outside the context of a investigation of a specific crime, reports Politico.com. Previously, Obama did not follow through on a campaign promise to seek renewal of the expired federal ban on assault weapons, saying that Congress was not likely to approve it.