WASHINGTON—U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), and Martha McSally (R-Ariz.) urged Senate appropriators to include at least an additional $25 million for the Department of Justice to hire additional National Instant Criminal Background Checks (NICS) staff. In a letter

to U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Chairman Jerry Moran and Ranking Member Jeanne Shaheen, the senators noted the increase in guns and ammunition sales since the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting the urgency to hire additional NICS examiners so background checks can be completed accurately and in a timely manner.

“The NICS system is the cornerstone of our legal transfer firearms process in the United States, helps to protect the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens, and helps to ensure that prohibited individuals cannot purchase a firearm from a licensed dealer,” the senators wrote.

The senators continued: “Even before COVID-19, the number of background checks run through the NICS system was increasing, resulting in backlogs. Then, as Americans began to grapple with COVID-19 at the beginning of this year, gun and ammunition sales skyrocketed throughout the country. In March, FBI conducted over 3.7 million background checks, a new record. Five of its 10 busiest weeks ever have occurred in early 2020 during this pandemic.”

“Given that sales have increased substantially compared to March, April, and May 2019, additional NICS examiners are critical in ensuring the timely and accurate completion of background checks. I therefore request that any future COVID-19 package include at least an additional $25 million to hire additional NICS staff,” the senators concluded.

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