At the time the study was finished, Attorney General Eric Holder was under investigation for his part in the Fast and Furious scandal. The Justice Department, already under attack, had no wish to stir up any more animosity with gun owners.
Those who believe that Barack Obama is an idealist first and a politician second are sorely mistaken. The Justice Department of the Obama administration decided one year ago, as his reelection effort was getting underway, to ignore proposals that would have allowed the background–check system for gun procurement to be more comprehensive.
Some of these proposals made in a Justice Department study were: allowing the FBI access to other federal agencies’ information, as that would have enabled the FBI to make sure those who are banned from buying guns such as felons, drug users, mentally “defective” persons, domestic violence criminals, and illegal immigrants, would be noticed. Private sellers would be required, just as licensed firearms dealers are already, to check purchaser’s backgrounds. There would be mandatory jail time for those who buy guns for others who cannot pass a background check.
The study suggested that the federal government incentivize states to share information with grants of roughly $100 million a year.
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