Rep. Tokuda wants to destroy ‘zombie guns’

WASHINGTON (Gray DC) - House Democrats are leading an effort to get rid of so-called “zombie guns.” It is a concern progressives say is leading to an uptick in crime across the U.S.

Rep. Jill Tokuda (D-Hawaii) said ‘zombie guns’ are a serious issue across the country. But what is a zombie gun?

“They’re about guns that really should be dead, but sadly are coming back to life and they’re endangering our people,” said Tokuda.

Tokuda said, many people think weapons are completely destroyed when turned into police or seized law enforcement. Instead, she said, disposal companies actually recycle and re-sell the parts.

Tokuda said, “And unfortunately, we know a lot of those kits turned into untraceable ghost guns that are out in our community, wreaking havoc every single day.”

So, she and dozens of House Democrats are co-sponsoring a bill to close what they call the ‘zombie gun loophole.’ The legislation would ensure the guns handed over to law enforcement do not end up in anyone else’s hands.

“Not just the revolver and the frame, but all of the parts,” said Tokuda.

Gun Owners of America, a group which describes itself as “the only no compromise gun lobby in Washington D.C.,” said the term and issue of zombie guns have been made up by Democrats.

“First, we had ghost guns. Now we have zombie guns. What’s the next scary type of firearm name that the anti-gunners will come up with in order to try to infringe on our rights,” questioned Director of Federal Affairs Aidan Johnston.

Representative Tokuda told USA Today lawmakers do not “have the information” to understand the size and scope of the problem.

Johnston, said, “If you have a gun, your right to own that gun, your right to have that firearm for self-defense is totally meaningless if you can’t put in new parts and replacement parts and keep it well-maintained so that when you need it for home defense or self-defense and you pull that trigger, it goes off and it does its job.”

The bill has been referred to the House Judiciary Committee. It does not have any Republican support. Tokuda said she is also working on a companion bill to hand out $15 million in federal grants to local law enforcement agencies so they can destroy more guns on their own.

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