With President Obama ordering Americans who sell just “one or two” guns to obtain a Federal Firearms License (FFL), Hillary Clinton’s strong support for a steep hike in the FFL takes on new importance.
Clinton is firmly on record in support of raising the gun dealer licensing fee to $2,500. The fee currently ranges from $30 to $200.
“Obama plans to require you to get a license to sell one gun,” said Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform. “Hillary has already announced that the price of a license should be $2,500. This will make it prohibitively expensive for individuals to sell their own guns.”
As she testified before the tax-writing Senate Finance Committee on Sept. 30, 1993, Clinton was asked by Sen. Bill Bradley (D-N.J.) if she supported the imposition of a new, 25 percent national sales tax on guns and a steep increase in dealer fees to $2,500. Clinton emphatically endorsed the hikes, stating: “I am all for that.”
As reported by the Associated Press:
Sen. Bill Bradley, D-N.J., picked up Mrs. Clinton’s support for his idea of slapping stiff taxes on ”purveyors of violence:” a 25 percent sales tax on guns and $2,500 license fees for gun dealers.
”Speaking personally … I’m all for that,” said the first lady. But she stressed she was just speaking for herself.
”Well, let me say that there is no more important personal endorsement in the country today, and I thank you very much,” said a pleased-as-punch Bradley.
After she publically endorsed the hikes in congressional testimony, she made sure that everyone understood how important this was to her, saying: “I am speaking personally, but I feel very strongly about that.”
NBC Nightly News reported Clinton’s endorsement as follows:
NBC: “Others urge a hefty sales tax on guns, and much higher fees for gun dealers. Today, they got a powerful ally.”
Clinton: “I’m all for that. I just don’t know what else we’re going to do to try to figure out how to get some handle on this violence.”
Said Norquist: “Under the Obama-Clinton model, the cost of selling your best friend a $400 shotgun will be $2,900.”
Americans for Tax Reform is tracking all of Hillary’s tax hike proposals at HighTaxHillary.com