Voting 260 for and 145 against, the House increased from $58.5 million to $78 million the spending in HR 4660 to help states increase their supply of information on felons and the mentally ill to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System for gun purchases. Federally licensed gun dealers are required to use the NICS to conduct criminal and mental health checks on prospective buyers. But an estimated 40 percent of sales, including internet sales and transactions between private parties at gun shows, are exempted from mandatory background checks. No member spoke against the amendment. A yes vote was to boost funding by one-third for the National Instant Criminal Background Check System.
