WASHINGTON — Illinois Democratic Rep. Danny Davis says it is acceptable for only wealthy individuals having access firearms if a 50 percent federal tax on all guns and ammunition becomes law.
“So if rich people can only get firearms then only rich people would be able to pay the price and if that could prevent some people from getting them, I’d want to prevent all people from getting them,” Davis told The Daily Caller. “But if rich people were willing and would continue to pay the high price, then I’d be happy that we kept the other group from getting them.”
Davis introduced a bill Tuesday called The Gun Violence Prevention and Safe Communities Act, which would increase federal excise taxes on shells and cartridges from 11 percent to 50 percent. Additionally, the legislation hikes taxes on pistols and revolvers from 10 percent to 20 percent.
“Well I think the whole idea is to make it a little bit more difficult for individuals who are going to use these weapons if they’re going to use them then at least they could pay more to do so, and it would actually generate money that could be used for you know violence prevention efforts or some other kind of programs or even for trauma treatment,” Davis said.
When asked if his bill would give only wealthy exclusive access to firearms while the financially lower classes would be shut out from such sales he replied, “Well I’d be just as pleased if neither group would be able to get them, so it doesn’t pose an issue for me because I would like to outlaw them altogether.”
He continued, “I’m saying I’d like to make it where nobody except military personnel would ever have access to these weapons. So it wouldn’t bother me that one category of people couldn’t get them even if the other one was willing to pay the high price for them. Then we use that money for services that are needed then people could make use of it.”
Rep. Davis introduced a similar bill in 2015 with 12 co-sponsors, all Democrats.
Americans for Tax Reform opposes the bill. “Democrats are seeking to tax guns out of existence,” said Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform.
“Now that the GOP tax cut has benefited 90 percent of Americans, the one danger facing the Republican Congress is the ‘intensity gap.’ The Democrats have decided to solve this problem for Republicans by targeting gun owners and taxpayers in the same futile gesture: a threatened tax on guns.”
Democratic Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton previously proposed a 25 percent national sales tax on guns as well as $2500 license fees for gun dealers.