Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren is set to unveil new legislation Thursday aimed at preventing a U.S. Army ammunition facility from distributing military-grade bullets to civilian buyers, citing concerns that some rounds have ended up in the hands of Mexican drug cartels and been linked to numerous mass shooting incidents across America.
The proposed Stop Militarizing Our Streets Act, backed by Senator Andy Kim along with Representatives Robert Garcia and Jamie Raskin, would ban Pentagon contractors from distributing military-grade assault weapons and ammunition to civilian purchasers.
The legislation would also mandate that military contractors exclusively work with commercial dealers who implement basic safety measures, including customer background checks and maintaining records showing minimal connections to firearms later involved in criminal activities.
The proposed law specifically addresses the Lake City Army Ammunition Plant located in Independence, Missouri, a World War Two-era facility that serves as the primary rifle ammunition supplier for U.S. military forces.
Winchester, an Olin Corporation subsidiary, operates the facility under an Army contract that permits commercial sales of any ammunition not purchased by the military.
Warren noted that powerful .50-caliber rounds confiscated by Mexican officials from cartel members were tracked back to the Lake City facility.
Olin Corporation and its Winchester subsidiary have not yet provided responses to requests for comment.
“Americans’ tax dollars should not be used to fuel gun violence,” Warren stated. “Congress must step in to keep Americans safe, and that means stopping the U.S. military and giant defense contractors from selling weapons of war to cartels, criminal groups, and mass shooters that terrorize our communities.”
A 2023 New York Times investigation revealed that AR-15 ammunition manufactured at the Lake City facility had been utilized in at least twelve mass shooting events since 2012, including the tragedies in Aurora, San Bernardino, Las Vegas, Sutherland Springs, Parkland, Buffalo, and Uvalde.
