Disarm Administrative Federal Agencies
Let’s get something straight from the start. I am not advocating for disarming federal, state, or local law enforcement or the military. I am only advocating for the disarmament of non-law enforcement / administrative federal agencies.
Over the past couple of decades, the size, scope, and power of the federal government has dramatically grown. And with this growth many administrative federal government agencies have acquired vast amounts of firearms and ammunition. For example, why does the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) whose mission is to protect human health and the environment and has committed to making equity, environmental justice, and civil rights a centerpiece of the agency's mission need over 600 guns? And the 458 ‘Special Office of Inspector General Agents’ within the Health and Human Services Department (HHS) which has a mission to improve the health and well-being of all Americans are armed with sophisticated weaponry and trained by military Special Forces contractors. Even the special agents at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) are equipped with machine guns and AR15s. And last but definitely not least, the Smithsonian Institution now employs as of 2019, 620-armed ‘special agents,’ up from zero officers in 2008.
The weapons and special training are only the tip of the iceberg of armament for the executive offices of the federal government. These agencies also purchase millions of dollars’ worth of body armor, camouflage uniforms, riot helmets and shields, specialized image enhancement devices, night vision equipment, chemical weapons, quick reaction capability equipment, surveillance vans, tactical lighting, and the list goes on. This does not include the Department of Defense and those twenty-seven traditional law enforcement agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Customs and Border Patrol, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Bureau of the Prisons, U.S. Marshals Service, Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, and the Secret Service.
Why does the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) need 4,500 guns which include 621 shotguns, 539 long-barrel rifles and 15 submachine guns and five million rounds of ammunition? Why did HHS purchase four million rounds over the last eight years and stockpile five submachine guns? And what about the 800,000 rounds purchased by the Social Security Administration (SSA)?
“The Militarization of the U.S. Executive Agencies” details the nearly $1 billion of funding spent on the purchase of guns, ammunition, and military-style equipment by these administrative agencies. This is one area where the new Department of Government Efficiency could see a large reduction in non-essential and frankly wasteful spending. There is absolutely no reason for these agencies to be, for one, stockpiling 10’s of millions of rounds of ammunition or as a matter of fact armed at all.
In addition to saving from not spending millions of dollars on administrative agencies armament, it should be required that they turn in all their current armament. This pool of armament could then either be reallocated to federal law enforcement agencies or have a public sale through normal government procedures.
There will be many saying that they need the armament to secure the buildings they are located in and I say leave that function up to either the federal law enforcement agencies or the Washington, D.C. police force. Then there are others that say they need the weapons in order to enforce the laws in their areas of operation. I say if they need to enforce the laws that should be left up to the federal law enforcement once a complaint by an administrative agency has been sworn to and filed. There is no need for hundreds of mini pseudo enforcement groups roaming the countryside. There will be other explanations but all of them come down to the need for regular law enforcement and not administrators pretending to be law enforcement.
Having all the enforcement that requires the arming of individuals under the auspices of one law enforcement agency would be more efficient, more uniform, and less likely to result in needless casualties and wasteful spending.
The majority of the data contained in this article was derived from the OpenTheBooks oversight report entitled “THE MILITARIZATION OF THE U.S. EXECUTIVE AGENCIES” and funded by the “Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006.” I would like to thank them for their work.
NOTE: A pdf version of this document is available by clicking here !
