Re: DHS Ammo Purchases: Why wont Congress stop funding these excessive orders?

The Congress has the "power of the purse" to fund the Department of Homeland Security and other agencies under its aegis for whom it is ordering billions of rounds of ammo in toto (most of which is .40 s&w hollow points). Since the DHS has not given the people a good explanation of why it needs this much ammo (more than needed to execute a foreign war and with ammunition outlawed in foreign wars by the Geneva Convention) then why doesn't the House of Representatives use its "power of the purse" to defund or freeze additional funding to the DHS and related domestic agencies for whom these large ammo purchase orders were made? Perhaps that is why Janet Napolitano is so worried about the Sequestration of the budget process and its affect on her department (automatic spending cuts)....I say let's stop funding this which has gone beyond what the federal government needs for some potential "civil unrest" and is causing severe price inflation (via supply shortages) in the civilian ammunition market and is also unjustified in a time of great budget deficits. Let the DHS appear before the House Ways and Means Committee to justify why they need this much ammo (and apparently more and more as these cumulative smaller orders are placed). Perhaps we could even start a White House petition to stop these purchases which can only be used against the American people.

Because every bureaucrat knows that it is the absolute right of every LEO- no matter how removed from actual LE- should have the ability to spray 30 to 40 rounds of ill-aimed rapid fire at the populace at ALL TIMES.

It takes a lot of ammo to keep them supplied.

reply to post by Montana

It used to be that just the "G-men" (FBI), "Prohibition Agents" (precursor to ATF) and the Secret Service were the only Federal Agents who carried weapons....now I guess they are going to have secretaries for the Social Security Administration "packing heat" to justify that many rounds.

reply to post by CosmicCitizen


The DHS haven't actually spent a cent yet, they've got a supplier who will provide a shed load of ammo on demand, now until they actually ask for some ammo they've spent exactly zero and its guaranteed for the next five years..so if ammo prices go mental guess who's going to be annoyed that someone got a mega price per round

Originally posted by Maxatoria
reply to post by CosmicCitizen

 

The DHS haven't actually spent a cent yet, they've got a supplier who will provide a shed load of ammo on demand, now until they actually ask for some ammo they've spent exactly zero and its guaranteed for the next five years..so if ammo prices go mental guess who's going to be annoyed that someone got a mega price per round

The contracts have already caused shortages and higher prices.... for civilians.

The contracts require the suppliers to be able to deliver the ammo at the agreed price within time limitations. This keeps a lot of production tied up and raw materials too, the manufacturers have to keep a given amount stockpiled in order to be able to deliver on demand.

If you go shopping for ammo, you will find loads of 7.62 x 39 and 54R, it seems there aren't any large govt contracts for those calibers.

A very interesting Alert on the Stevquayle .com site today, it was reported that things are really starting to get serious because not only have DHS been busy buying guns and ammo, they are now causing a back order on Body Armor too which is keeping the average citizen from getting their orders in a timely manner...if ever...

Also there was supposedly a HUGE order for .223 brass casings, 50 billion!

The advisor wanted him to know that "this guns and ammo grab is the real deal." He said "they are coming after guns, and they are going to squeeze ammo so bad that no one will be able to get any, and if you don't have an assault weapon by now, good luck. They will be impossible to get." While he didn't say a full-fledged gun ban was coming, he did say that the DHS "has another order in the works for ammo and AR-15's that will dwarf anything they have already purchased. They are going to absolutely strangle the market."

So … when I told this info to the man from AR500, he kind of chuckled and told me "that's funny, because I talked to a guy this morning that we do business with, he buys used brass, tumbles it, refurbishes it and re-sells it. He also makes new casings and sell those. He said he received a phone call yesterday from the gov't asking if he would fill a 50 billion round order for .223 casings."

www.ar500armor.com...

www.stevequayle.com...

Unfortunately Your So called Representatives (most of them) are part of the problem and are in on these situations they only work for Big Check books and do not Care about the People who elected them. This Govt has been taken over Mostly at the end of WWII when it accelerated. The only way to fix this is a TRUE "HOUSE CLEANING" !!! They ALL have to GO and if this does not take place you will be still dealing with the same HiJacked Govt. Plane and Simple They Have to Go ! And I have Lost any interest in the Political Process ! It's Over! Take Care of your Familiy as best as you can, This is ALL going to Collapse anytime now! The Govt Is DEAD!!! AND HAS BEEN ! READ THE POSTS HERE!!! IT'S OVER !!!

reply to post by Maxatoria

They dont have to pay for the ammo until they receive it BUT the Federal Government is on an Accrual Accounting system (vis a vis Cash) and the future purchases have to be obligated by the budget. Somewhere along the line they are committing funds that have been budgeted and therein lies both the problem and the opportunity (to slow this madness down via Congress).

reply to post by jaytay

The House of Representative is mostly Republican (if that matters anymore) and its members are less more likely to be accountable to their constituents (vis a vis the Senate) since they are up for reelection every 2 years (of course, contrarily they are also beholden to their big corporate sponsors also which is a serious problem with our political system).

reply to post by antar

Yes, I just read the rumored purchase order for "50 Billion...with a 'B'" and that was supposedly from DHS not DOD (totally ridiculous and more than enough to kill everyone on the planet 7x). Maybe it is time to apply the monopoly laws to the federal government....we could argue that they are trying to corner the market for ammo to make money on their pre-orders to lock in the price - even tho we know that they are not doing it to make money).

reply to post by butcherguy

Of course those rounds are the Soviet Bloc ammunition.

reply to post by CosmicCitizen


MAYbe... they are planning to centralize ALL weapons sales. Individuals will have to go through them to buy anything related to guns and ammo.

Originally posted by antar
reply to post by CosmicCitizen

 

MAYbe... they are planning to centralize ALL weapons sales. Individuals will have to go through them to buy anything related to guns and ammo.

Hmmm. Like another government store (similiar to DRMO) but with a tax as well?

But one that could be tracked as well as knowing possibly what type of weapon you have based upon the quantity of rounds purchased?

Originally posted by antar
reply to post by CosmicCitizen

 

MAYbe... they are planning to centralize ALL weapons sales. Individuals will have to go through them to buy anything related to guns and ammo.

Could be, there are a few countries that do this.

I'm pretty sure in Columbia you have to go through the military to purchase firearms and ammunition.

reply to post by antar

I was thinking that earlier today....they could seek to create a monopoly and then force civilian orders to go thru them where they can be registered (something that they may one day do to american eagle gold and silver coin sales also where the government controls the wholesale supply)....that is; if they wish to (or are forced by Congress) to dishoard their ammo over time.

Let's put this story to bed. Even the NRA covered the reasoning and broke out the numbers: Federal Law Enforcement Agencies Buy Ammunition.

Granted, I think the NRA does a little too much compromising but I don't think they're a plant opposition.

reply to post by TDawgRex


I do not know, just had that hit all of the sudden. Made sense in the moment. I am not familiar with the place you mentioned in your post.

People really do not want anyone in on their business, so as it has been said necessity is the Mother of invention.

Like a game of chess one move creates another.

They want the end game to go in their favor but who knows? People are bright and resourceful when they have to be.

reply to post by CosmicCitizen


OH M Gee!

I was also thinking about the monopoly on the metals as well, but once the bill comes due on the FED who knows what Gov will be the leader in metals and what their compliance rules will be for the average Joe.

reply to post by antar


DRMO stands for Defense Reutilization and Marketing Office. It's basically a government store that sells used items to other local/county/state government agencies and also to the civilian populace. You can even buy a HUMMV.

Most of the items are used, but every now and then you can get something brand new in the box. It just hasn't been opened in 3 years.

reply to post by GreenGlassDoor

The article focuses on one order for 450 Million over 5 years and not the subsequent piecemeal orders totalling nearly 2 Billion rounds now.