number one, it s not too complex. both of us could use a gun dealer. 99% of the gun dealers in this country do background checks, follow the law to the exact letter of the law. it s not onerous and it really does work. but the gun shows have involved from you just selling one gun to me to you having 500 guns and 10 or 20 like me come in to buy guns from you. it s a way to avoid the federal requirement for a background check. number two, the background check database isn t kept up to date, and the president by executive order could certainly do something like that. there was a disaster, a murder six, eight months, a year ago, a military guy. the military knew he had psychiatric problems. never put that into the database outside of the military. and he goes and kills people. so populating the database. having making sure that you stop the gun show loophole. those are the kinds of things that congress can do. and enforcing the laws.
requirement for a background check. number two, the background check database isn t kept up to date, and the president by executive order could certainly do something like that. there was a disaster, murder, six, eight months, a year ago, a military guy. the military knew he had psychiatric problems, never put that into the database outside of the military and goes and kills people, so populating the database, having making sure that you stop the gun show loophole. those are the kinds of things that congress can do, and enforcing the laws. the alcohol, tobacco and firearms division hasn t had anybody in half a dozen years running it, four years. the president hasn t fought hard for somebody. i know it s tough to get people through congress, approved in congress. the president deals with that all the time. this should be one of his number one priorities. how much are you prepared to spend in the future to counter the nra? well, i don t know how to answer that, but when i care abou
are you subject to a restraining order? the gun store forwards that to the fbi which approves, denies or delays the purchase. hi, is jacob here? he isn t here right now. reporter: we tried tracking down buyers jacob chambers and sean stewart, both had criminal records which should have made them prohibited purchasers and instead were allowed to buy 363 guns. you cannot sanction illegal activity to further an ill-fated, ill-founded, ill-conceived investigation. reporter: one that allowed a 24-year-old to buy the gun used to gill border agent brian terry. reporter: now, the fbi which mansion the background check database refused to comment when asked if it cooperated with the atf in this investigation, bill, however, one of the atf agents, the whistleblowers here, told us that the atf would routinely get
every buyer fills out the form and it asks: have you ever been indicted for a felony? charged with a crime that allows for a year in jail? are you subject to a restraining order? the gun store forwards that to the fbi which approves, denies or delays the purchase. hi, is jacob here? he isn t here right now. reporter: we tried tracking down buyers jacob chambers and sean stewart, both had criminal records which should have made them prohibited purchasers and instead were allowed to buy 363 guns. you cannot sanction illegal activity to further an ill-fated, ill-founded, ill-conceived investigation. reporter: one that allowed a 24-year-old to buy the gun used to gill border agent brian terry. reporter: now, the fbi which mansion the background check database refused to comment when asked if it cooperated with the atf in this investigation, bill,
innocent lives. i want the president to understand that. reporter: the white house said there is a executive action we will see very soon from the president on this topic. shepard: how are gun rights activists reacting to the word that white house has something on tap here? reporter: they are very skeptical. i talked with the attorney who argued one of the biggest second amendment cases of the supreme court and won a couple of years back. the president is the commander in chief of the armed forces, not the commander of the american people and he does not dictate what the law is. if congress refuses to enact a particular law and there is no law on the books that allow as president to do something he wants the president is powerless. reporter: the president has mentioned that both agree the background check database needs to be cloned up for the birr of both sides. shepard: thank you, from capitol hill this afternoon.