Gillibrand, McCarthy announce anti-gun bill
NEW YORK -- New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and Rep. Carolyn McCarthy are introducing a bill to crack down on illegal gun trafficking.
They said Tuesday the bill would make it a crime to traffic in firearms and would also go after middlemen who buy a gun for someone else so that person can evade background checks.
The bill would provide funding for the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms to hire 1,500 agents and investigators.
Gillibrand said the measures outlined in the bill would cost $370 million over five years.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly joined the two Democratic lawmakers at a news conference announcing the bill at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in Manhattan.
Kelly said the bill would be "truly life-saving."
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
