Warren, Raskin, Garcia, Members of Congress Urge DoD to Stop Subsidizing Sale of Military-Grade Weapons to Civilians

July 15, 2024

Warren, Raskin, Garcia, Members of Congress Urge DoD to Stop Subsidizing Sale of Military-Grade Weapons to Civilians

Ammunition from the Lake City plant has been used in 12 recent high-profile mass shootings

"DoD must ensure that public tax dollars no longer subsidize the production of military-grade ammunition that finds its way onto our streets and fuels mass shootings."

Text of Letter (PDF)

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), and Representatives Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) and Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) wrote to the Department of Defense (DoD) urging them to stop their practice of contracting with companies that sell military-grade ammunition to civilians, sometimes using DoD facilities and equipment to do so. This follows a February 2024 inquiry by members of Congress who requested information from DoD on this practice and still have not received answers.

"The gun industry has made billions in revenue from selling weapons of war and military-grade ammunition to civilians. Many of those companies are the U.S. military's own contractors," wrote the lawmakers. "DoD must ensure that public tax dollars no longer subsidize the production of military-grade ammunition that finds its way onto our streets and fuels mass shootings."

One of these contractors, Olin Winchester LLC, operates the Lake City Army Ammunition Plant (Lake City plant) in Independence, Missouri, which is owned by the federal government. However, reports suggest that the majority of military-grade ammunition produced at the Lake City plant is potentially being sold commercially rather than to the federal government.

"Shooters have made clear that the ammunition's lethal design intended for the battlefield is part of its appeal," wrote the lawmakers. "Olin Winchester leans into this appeal, promising buyers the opportunity to shoot the same ammunition the military uses."

The lethal design of Lake City's military-grade ammunition has made it a top choice for mass shooters. Ammunition from the plant has been used in at least 12 high-profile mass shootings since 2012, including those in Parkland and Uvalde.

Olin Winchester is now expanding the Lake City plant to increase production.

"DoD should not be subsidizing efforts to pump military-grade weaponry into American communities," wrote the lawmakers. "Further, DoD should ensure that all of the contractors from which it purchases firearms are committed to firearm and public safety practices, especially when these same contractors also sell firearms and ammunition on the commercial market."

The lawmakers called on the DoD to provide specific information about the plant's commercial production and sales figures, as well as its plans to ensure that its contractors are committed to firearm and public safety practices.

Senator Warren has led efforts to implement gun violence prevention reforms and hold agencies accountable for their handling of firearms sales:

• On May 15, 2024, Senator Warren and Representatives Joaquin Castro (D-Texas.), Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.) and Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) sent a letter to United States Trade Representative (USTR) Ambassador Katherine Tai writing in support of USTR's decision to remove the designation of import license requirements for explosives, firearms, and ammunition as trade barriers in the annual National Trade Estimate (NTE) report, while also criticizing the Department of Commerce's inadequate steps to address assault weapons exports.
• On January 24, 2024, Senator Warren and Senator Durbin (D-Ill.), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Representatives Castro and Norma Torres (D-Calif.) sent a letter to Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, calling on the Department of Commerce to incorporate a set of recommendations from the lawmakers to strengthen export controls and end-use checks for firearm exports to crack down on the unnecessary export of lethal weapons used in brutal killings abroad.
• In December 2023, Senator Warren and Representative Dean led lawmakers in a letter to American Express, Visa, Mastercard, and Discover, requesting that they explain why their companies have paused the implementation of a new Merchant Category Code (MCC) for gun and ammunition retailers that could help flag suspicious firearm purchases and prevent gun violence, gun trafficking, and domestic terrorism.
• In December 2023, Senator Warren and Representative Hank Johnson (D-Ga.) reintroduced the Gun Violence Prevention and Community Safety Act, a comprehensive bill that would implement bold and robust measures including creating a federal gun licensing system, strengthening background checks, banning military-style assault weapons and other lethal accessories, holding the gun industry accountable for wrongdoing, and investing in research and community-based gun violence prevention.
• In November 2023, Senator Warren and Representative Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.) sent a letter to six major financial institutions calling on them to provide critical information on their efforts to end their financial investments in the gun industry.
• In September 2023, Senator Elizabeth Warren, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), and Representative Maxwell Alejandro Frost (D-Fla.) led 68 lawmakers in a letter to President Joe Biden, urging him to take further executive action to combat gun violence and limit the sale of assault weapons.
• In March 2023, Senators Warren and Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) sent a letter to the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), urging the departments to issue guidance to financial institutions for the full implementation of the MCC that the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) approved in 2022 for gun and ammunition stores.
• In September 2022, Senators Warren and Murphy (D-Conn.) and Representatives Castro and Torres sent a letter to Secretary Raimondo, calling out Commerce for its increased approvals of export licenses for assault weapons and high-capacity magazine exports, and for putting the gun industry profits before national security and human lives. The lawmakers called on Commerce to revise its approach to assault weapons exports and to answer questions about its export license approvals.
• In September 2022, Senator Warren and Representative Dean sent letters to the CEOs of MasterCard, American Express, and Visa urging them to support the creation of a new MCC for gun and ammunition retailers and to request information about their reported opposition to Amalgamated Bank's application for such a code.

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