Congressional AMMO Conspiracy

Sen. Jim Inhofe (R., OK) and Rep. Frank Lucas (R., OK) have introduced the AMMO (Ammunition Management for More Obtainability) Act of 2013. The bill was sparked by the conspiracy theory that the federal government is attempting to subvert formal (i.e. legislative) gun control by stockpiling ammunition and therefore limiting the supply of bullets available to the public.

A story on the bill by CBS News is partially available below the jump.



For years, conspiracy theorists have fueled the idea that the government is stockpiling ammunition as part of a gun control effort to create a shortage of bullets. Federal agencies and pro-gun rights groups like the National Rifle Association have tried to debunk the myth, but a few Republican lawmakers are nevertheless pushing legislation that would address the would-be threat.

Oklahoma Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., and Rep. Frank Lucas, R-Okla., last week introduced the "Ammunition Management for More Obtainability (AMMO) Act of 2013," which would restrict government agencies -- except for the Defense Department -- from buying or possessing any more ammunition each month than the monthly average it purchased between 2001 and 2009. The bill would also require the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct a report on the government's ammunition purchases and their effect on the ammunition supply available to the public. ...