Democratic Lawmakers Introduce Bill Requiring Background Checks . . . On Ammunition Buyers

Chris Rock used to do a great bit on gun control.

The comedian joked that America doesn’t need gun control, it needs “bullet control.”

“I think all bullets should cost $5,000,” he said to laughter. “$5,000! ‘Cuz you know why? If a bullet cost $5,000, there’d be no more innocent bystanders!”

Now a pair of Democratic lawmakers are making the very same proposal — but they’re not joking.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) on Monday introduced a bill, known as the Ammunition Background Check Act of 2018, that they said will help close a “loophole” in the current law.

“Ammunition sales should be subject to the same legal requirements as firearm sales, and that includes instant background checks. … Closing this ludicrous loophole is a common-sense component of a comprehensive strategy to reduce gun violence,” Blumenthal said.

Schultz added that it is “common-sense legislation” that would close an “absurd loophole.” “Studies show it can help keep ‘bad guys with guns’ from perpetrating another mass slaughter like the one we witnessed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in my Broward County community, or the thousands of other acts of gun violence that devastate communities across the country,” she said in a statement.

The bill would require federally licensed firearms dealers to perform a background check through the National Instant Background Check System on all ammunition buyers. Two states with the most restrictive gun laws in the country — California and New York — already require background checks for ammo. Coincidentally (or not), California had 1,275 gun murders in 2015 — the most in the U.S. — and New York was sixth with 383 gun murders.

“It takes more than just a gun to take an innocent life. It also takes bullets,” said Schultz, who has an “F” rating from the National Rifle Association. “We need to do all we can to make sure neither of them ends up in the wrong hands.”

And unlike Rock, she’s not kidding.