{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://russell.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/nssf-qa-us-rep-steve-d-russell-r-okla", "NATIONAL SHOOTING SPORTS FOUNDATION Q&A: U.S. REP. STEVE D. RUSSELL (R-OKLA.)", "2017-11-29", "2017", "2017-11", "Republican", "House", "OK", "Steve Russell", "R000604", "russell.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "U.S. Rep. Steve D. Russell brings a unique perspective on firearms to the House of Representatives. He\u2019s a career soldier, collector of military firearms and is the only one on Capitol Hill who is an active firearms manufacturer.\nRep. Russell\u2019s admiration for firearms is deeply-rooted in his calling to serve in the U.S. Army as an infantry soldier. He served tours in Kosovo, Kuwait, Afghanistan and Iraq, where he commanded a task force that captured former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. He chronicled the mission in his memoir, \u201cWe Got Him.\u201d Following his military career, he formed successive veteran\u2019s advocacy groups and ran for and won an open seat in Oklahoma\u2019s state Senate in 2008. It was there, Russell, turned a career of carrying a rifle, into a new calling of ensuring the right to bear arms was respected.\nVictories at the state level included hunting with suppressors, open carry legislation, and clearing up language on \u201cshall issue\u201d questions with respect to mental health. But it wasn\u2019t until 2010 when Russell went from firearms enthusiast to manufacturer. He couldn\u2019t bring home rifles he saw during his combat tours in Iraq. So he made one.\n\u201cWith that in mind, I found an existing rifle and altered its appearance, made it look like an Iraqi rifle,\u201d Rep. Russell explained. \u201cSome of my veteran buddies asked, \u2018Where\u2019d you get that?\u2019 I said, \u201cAw, I just made these changes to this rifle. So they said, \u2018If I got one, would you do that to mine?\u2019 I said sure. After a half a dozen of those, I thought there might be something to this.\u201d\nThat was the birth of Two Rivers Arms, a company that\u2019s still producing firearms and even caught the eye of legendary actor and director Clint Eastwood as he was filming \u201cAmerican Sniper,\u201d the biopic on former Navy SEAL Chris Kyle.\n\u201cOur biggest claim to fame is our rifles were featured in Clint Eastwood\u2019s \u201cAmerican Sniper.\u201d We made the Tabuk sniper rifles for the film; one for the actor, one for the body double and we made four of the Iraqi AK\u2019s that the insurgents used as extras in the film. So that was pretty cool. We\u2019ve kind of carved out our little niche in the market.\u201d\nRep. Russell\u2019s call to service wasn\u2019t over, though. In 2014, Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) ran for his current Senate seat and left open a seat for Oklahoma\u2019s 5thCongressional District. He won a six-way primary, run-off, and five-way general election. In 2016, he was re-elected.\nRep. Russell\u2019s affinity for firearms predates his Congressional and military service, though. He admits a fascination with military small arms, a collection that he began when he was old enough to purchase his own and continues today. In fact, it\u2019s a passion he\u2019s passed along to his children, even to a recent outing with his daughter who was researching her preferred handgun as she pursues a career in federal law enforcement.\n\u201cI went out a few weeks ago with my youngest daughter. She is about to graduate with a criminal justice bachelor of arts, and a bachelor of science in forensics. She hopes to join the FBI. She wanted a SIG 220-series for her birthday. I told her she wanted something cheaper for her 21st birthday. She assured me she needed a good, reliable handgun. So, I went and found her one. So she shoots that and I stay with my Beretta. She does pretty good, but she needs to practice some more before she can outshoot me. It\u2019s always a lot of fun.\u201d\nRep. Russell keeps a tight lid on the number of firearms in his collection, but admits his likely doesn\u2019t look like others. His gun safe features firearms that are also used by the military. He\u2019s not sure that he\u2019s got any fine grade firearms designed strictly for sporting purposes.\n\u201cI only own one shotgun. It\u2019s a Mossberg 590A1 trench gun that mounts an M-9 bayonet. It\u2019s terrible for birds. It\u2019s great for clearing rooms. I have it as a home defense gun. I\u2019ve shot clays. It\u2019s different. I\u2019m used to sights. I can do it. But I\u2019m not an expert at it. I love target shooting. I\u2019m pretty good with a handgun. I\u2019m good with a rifle. I can do the 2-and-1 drills standing or I can do different firearms changes, shoot different things, pistol, rifle, whatever \u2013 I enjoy target shooting more than anything.\u201d\nRep. Russell\u2019s focus these days, though, is more than just knocking down targets. He\u2019s busy in Congress driving legislation to protect firearms dealers from a rash of brazen break-ins. NSSF works with ATF officials to match rewards to catch these criminals, but Rep. Russell wants to make sure those who are caught must spend time behind bars. It\u2019s\u00a0H.R. 3790, the Federal Firearms Licensee Protection Act. Rep. that would impose a minimum sentence for a successful conviction of not less than three years for burglary and five years for robbery of a firearms retailer, ranges that rent firearms, shooting clubs and licensed collectors.\nThe Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has reported a 48 percent increase in the number of burglaries and a 175 percent in the number of robberies over the past five years. In 2016, about 7,758 firearms were stolen from Federal Firearms Licensees (FFLs) in burglaries and robberies.\n\u201cThere\u2019s kind of a gap in the law where they\u2019re treating robberies of these businesses kind of like any other robbery. And yet, they\u2019re stealing firearms. In many cases, they even cross state lines. So this is a serious offense. This bill would remedy that with stiffer penalties. I\u2019m not always one that believes that legislatively we should take away the parameters of our judges on sentencing. I think that\u2019s why we have a judiciary branch, quite frankly. But in this case, I don\u2019t think that somebody that does a smash-and-grab, driving a pick-up through a gun shop and then just grabbing as many firearms as they can ought to be treated the same as holding up a convenience store. It\u2019s not the same. I\u2019ve got a bill that will fix that.\u201d\nRep. Russell\u2019s unique perspective on firearms has made him an asset to his Congressional colleagues too. When calls for gun legislation arises, he\u2019s able to parse through the rhetoric and show fellow Congressmen and women that in many instances, laws exist but aren\u2019t being implemented. He explained how terror watch lists and prohibited persons lists work, restrictions on internet sales and how a dealers at gun shows follow the letter of the law.\n\u201cAnother one that people really\u2026 \u201cYou shouldn\u2019t be able to go into a gun show and buy it from a dealer \u2013 a gun \u2013 without any paperwork.\u201d News flash, you can\u2019t. You can\u2019t. If I were to trade firearms at a gun show as an FFL holder and did not process the 4473, and did not do a NICS check, I could lose my license and be liable to severe penalty for breaking the law.\u201d\nRep. Russell reminds Congressmen and senators that the laws to keep firearms from criminals exist, but need to be enforced. He explained that by going legislation to restrict implements and devices, the solution is lost. He uses the integrated fight on terror as an example. The \u201csee-something, say-something\u201d campaign allows citizens to be engaged in reporting suspicious behavior. Rep. Russell said public engagement and awareness are crucial to identifying criminals. That\u2019s the work, he added, that\nlicensed dealers perform daily. They are at the point of sale, living in the same communities where they do business and want all their neighbors to practice safe and responsible firearms practices.\n\u201cI think people often look at the firearms industry as the bad guys. They\u2019re not. They\u2019re very cooperative with law enforcement. I have a very close friend of mine who not only cooperated with the FBI, but helped bust up a major ring, simply because he had suspicion of a guy who was making multiple purchases out of his shop. The first day was fine. The second day. But then he wanted multiple of the same type. It just didn\u2019t add up to it. Kind of on a gut, he thought he\u2019d call the local ATF field rep. They cooperated with him, busted a major, major crime ring.\u201d\n\u201cEverything I produce has to have severe restrictions to be transferred,\u201d Rep. Russell said. \u201cOur laws are adequate. Where we\u2019re missing the boat is we\u2019re not identifying the threats.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://russell.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/nssf-qa-us-rep-steve-d-russell-r-okla"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.3715359382331371, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}