MORE GOVERNMENT BUREAUCRATS WITH GUNS THAN U.S. MARINES
By Chuck Baldwin
August 4, 2016
NewsWithViews.com
Writing for FreeBeacon.com, Elizabeth Harrington summarized a comprehensive report by a taxpayer watchdog group that chronicles the exponential increase in the militarization of police agencies in the United States during the past several years.
Harrington writes, “There are now more non-military government employees who carry guns than there are U.S. Marines, according to a new report.
“Open the Books, a taxpayer watchdog group, released a study Wednesday [June 22, 2016] that finds domestic government agencies continue to grow their stockpiles of military-style weapons, as Democrats sat on the House floor calling for more restrictions on what guns American citizens can buy.
“The ‘Militarization of America’ report found civilian agencies spent $1.48 billion on guns, ammunition, and military-style equipment between 2006 and 2014. Examples include IRS agents with AR-15s, and EPA bureaucrats wearing camouflage.
“‘Regulatory enforcement within administrative agencies now carries the might of military-style equipment and weapons,’ Open the Books said. ‘For example, the Food and Drug Administration includes 183 armed “special agents,” a 50 percent increase over the ten years from 1998-2008. At Health and Human Services (HHS), “Special Office of Inspector General Agents” are now trained with sophisticated weaponry by the same contractors who train our military special forces troops.’
“Open the Books found there are now over 200,000 non-military federal officers with arrest and firearm authority, surpassing the 182,100 personnel who are actively serving in the U.S. Marine Corps.
“The IRS spent nearly $11 million on guns, ammunition, and military-style equipment for its 2,316 special agents. The tax collecting agency has billed taxpayers for pump-action and semi-automatic shotguns, semi-automatic Smith & Wesson M&P15s, and Heckler & Koch H&K 416 rifles, which can be loaded with 30-round magazines.
“The EPA spent $3.1 million on guns, ammo, and equipment, including drones, night vision, ‘camouflage and other deceptive equipment,’ and body armor.”
Harrington continues, “Open the Books appealed to both liberals like Bernie Sanders–who has called for demilitarizing local police departments–and conservatives in its report.
“‘Conservatives argue that it is hypocritical for political leaders to undermine the Second Amendment while simultaneously equipping non-military agencies with hollow-point bullets and military style equipment,’ Open the Books said. ‘One could argue the federal government itself has become a gun show that never adjourns with dozens of agencies continually shopping for new firearms.’”
The Rest…HERE
