[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 148 (Wednesday, September 13, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S4443]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mrs. FEINSTEIN (for herself, Mr. Menendez, Mr. Blumenthal, and 
        Mr. Booker):
  S. 2794. A bill to amend title 18, United States Code, to make 
fraudulent dealings in firearms and ammunition unlawful, and for other 
purposes; to the Committee on the Judiciary.
  Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Madam President, I rise today to address a continuing 
concern: the online sale of firearms using deceptive and misleading 
means. It simply continues to be too easy for individuals to evade 
existing restrictions and buy firearms through online platforms. This 
behavior endangers us all.
  Companies like Facebook have taken important steps by banning the 
sale of firearms on their websites. However, despite these efforts, the 
online sale of firearms continues to persist as a significant problem. 
Disturbingly, between April and June 2020 alone, Facebook had to remove 
a staggering 1.3 million pieces of content related to firearms from its 
platform.
  One of the primary challenges we face is that sellers are employing 
new tactics to circumvent online sales restrictions for firearms. They 
resort to posting listings for firearms under deceptive names such as 
``stickers'' to evade detection.
  I am proud to once again introduce legislation that addresses this 
issue head-on. My Stopping the Fraudulent Sales of Firearms Act aims to 
establish a Federal crime for the sale of firearms online through 
fraudulent representations. Specifically, it targets the deceptive 
marketing of firearms as seemingly innocuous items like ``stickers.'' 
These practices undermine the safety and security of our communities 
and must be met with swift and robust consequences. I thank my 
colleagues Senators Booker, Blumenthal, and Menendez for joining me in 
this effort.
  We must act decisively to address the persistent problem of 
uncontrolled online firearms sales and ensure that our laws keep pace 
with evolving practices. By passing this legislation, we can 
demonstrate our commitment to protecting the public and preventing 
firearms from falling into the wrong hands. I urge my colleagues to 
support this bill and join me in safeguarding our communities from the 
dangers posed by deceptive online firearm sales.

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