Congress ignores mayors' appeal on gun trace law

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A campaign by more than 200 U.S. mayors to repeal an amendment they say makes it harder for police to trace illegal firearms between states was dealt a setback in Congress on Thursday.

The House Appropriations Committee voted by 40-26 against removing a provision that dates back to 2003 and imposes confidentiality limits on firearms trace data compiled by the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and dozens of other mayors and senior police officers came to Washington this week to press Congress to eliminate the amendment, saying it was designed to appease the powerful gun lobby.

The measure has been attached to a law enforcement funding bill every year since 2003.

The amendment limits the provision of sensitive information on gun tracing only to law enforcement agencies during specified investigations.

Critics complain it prevents use of the data as part of any broader effort to prevent transport of unlawfully purchased guns from one state to another and to identify gun dealers who illegally peddle firearms without proper background checks.

Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, a New York Democrat whose husband was killed by a gunman, said Congress had "failed to give our law enforcement the necessary tools to solve crimes."

Bloomberg vowed to keep pushing to eliminate the amendment.

"As happens too often in Washington, common sense didn't carry the day -- special interests did," the mayor said.

Supporters of the amendment say sensitive data should be restricted so as not to endanger undercover police officers and investigations, and to protect the privacy of law-abiding citizens.

Rep. Todd Tiahrt, a Kansas Republican who first sponsored the bill, welcomed Thursday's vote as "a victory for law enforcement officers across America."