OPEN THE BOOKS

**ideaman** · February 24th, 2019, 01:57 PM

Received this today for Open The Books: I believe this was mentioned in the past.

"Paper-pushing, rank-and-file, regulatory agencies are stockpiling firepower.

Does the IRS really need five million rounds of ammunition?

Why did the Department of Health and Human Services purchase four million rounds and five submachine guns?

What about the 800,000 rounds purchased by the Social Security Administration?

Today, at Forbes, we published an editorial detailing some of the weapon purchases made over the last few years at agencies such as the IRS, the EPA, and the VA. These agencies are loading up on guns and ammunition for their special agents. Read the full editorial, click here.

In December, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) published a report quantifying purchases of $1.5 billion in firearms, ammunition, and tactical equipment between 2010 and 2017. All of these purchases came from agencies outside of the Pentagon."

These findings were consistent with our oversight report launched in The Wall Street Journal in 2016. This problem is not slowing down or going away.

It's time for President Trump's federal agencies to open their gun lockers and explain to Americans like you why they need so much firepower to pursue their missions.

**bogey1** · February 24th, 2019, 02:15 PM

They're gonna need a bigger boat. jaws

Whats the sense in all that ammo if they dont know how to use it.
Unless they are swat.

**Brick** · February 24th, 2019, 07:08 PM

The problem is each of these agencies has their own investigative law enforcement arm. Maybe it would save money if they had their "agents" do the investigating and leave the strong arm stuff to FBI or US Marshals as needed.

**Bang** · February 25th, 2019, 06:33 PM

The explanation has been that agencies, operating within fiscal parameters, engage manufacturers by protracted purchase orders. They obtain agreement that the manufacturer will supply up to xx million or xx thousand of the product should the agency find it needs it, within the specified dates. That cap amount gets reported to the public and rumors and reactions result. In reality, they seldom if ever come near buying that amount. Another part of the situation is the old use it or lose it (allotments), so the crazy amounts get repeated.