Congress calling gun manufacturer CEOs to testify following mass shootings
Heads of Ruger, Smith & Wesson, and Daniel Defense all received letters from House Oversight Committee
House Oversight Committee Chairwoman Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., called upon CEOs of three gun manufacturers to testify later this month as Congress looks into certain types of firearms following a string of deadly mass shootings.
Daniel Defense CEO Marty Daniel, Smith & Wesson Brands CEO Mark Smith, and Sturm, Ruger & Co. CEO Christopher Killoy all received letters from Maloney regarding a July 20 congressional hearing.
"Since the Oversight Committee launched our investigation into the gun industry and its disgraceful role in marketing these dangerous weapons, we found that Daniel Defense, Smith & Wesson, and Sturm, Ruger play prominent roles in an industry that makes billions of dollars in profits selling these products, including selling the assault weapons used in Highland Park and Uvalde," Maloney said in a statement. "I am inviting the chief executive officers of these firearms manufacturers to explain to Congress and the American people why they continue to sell products to civilians that are meant to be used in the battlefield."
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SWBI | SMITH & WESSON BRANDS | 13.72 | +0.14 | +1.03% |
| RGR | STURM RUGER & CO. INC. | 38.07 | -0.02 | -0.05% |
Daniel Defense's DDM4 rifle was used in the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, and Smith & Wesson's M&P rifle was used during the July 4 parade shooting in Highland Park, Illinois.
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FILE - National Rifle Association members look over pistols in the Smith & Wesson display at the 146th NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits on April 29, 2017, in Atlanta. (Scott Olson/Getty Images / Getty Images)
In addition to their presence and testimony, Maloney requested the CEOs' companies submit revenue and profit data from sales of weapons that are similar to AR-15 semiautomatic rifles, in addition to how much money they spend per year on lobbying and NRA contributions.
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Maloney referenced information already provided to the committee that raised concerns. She said that Sturm, Ruger & Co. has not sufficiently kept track of how its weapons are used in the commission of crimes, "and is failing to take other reasonable precautions to limit injuries and deaths caused by your firearms."
FILE - Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., delivers her opening statement at a hearing of the House Oversight and Reform Committee on Sept. 30, 2020, in Washington, DC. (Alex Edelman-Pool/Getty Images / Getty Images)
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Maloney accused Smith & Wesson of only turning over "some of the information and documents" her committee requested, but nothing specific to "semiautomatic rifles based on the AR platform[.]"
FILE - Attendees visit the Smith & Wesson booth at the 2018 National Shooting Sports Foundation's Shooting, Hunting, Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show at the Sands Expo and Convention Center on Jan. 23, 2018, in Las Vegas. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images / Getty Images)
FOX Business reached out to all three manufacturers for comment, but they did not immediately respond.