Department of Agriculture Seeking to Purchase Submachine Guns

by Alyssa Lafage | May 25, 2014 12:12 am

The militarization of the many bureaus of federal regulators should be a concern to all Americans. From the Social Security Administration to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to the Department of Homeland Security, and others, there is a disturbing trend for federal agencies which have historically not been armed, to now acquire: ammunition and/or weaponry. The latest agency to follow this trend is the Department of Agriculture, which is: reportedly [1]seeking to purchase submachine guns.

[2]

A May 7th solicitation[3] by the U.S. Department of Agriculture seeks “the commercial acquisition of submachine guns [in] .40 Cal. S&W.”

According to the solicitation[4], the Dept. of Agriculture wants the guns to have an “ambidextrous safety, semiautomatic or 2 round [bursts] trigger group, Tritium night sights front and rear, rails for attachment of flashlight (front under fore group) and scope (top rear), stock collapsible or folding,” and a “30 rd. capacity” magazine.

The timing of this request is peculiar, considering it is taking place: in the wake of the highly publicized [5]standoff between: Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy and: the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). : 

“It seems that the USDA, which oversees America’s vast tracks of forested land, may be preparing itself in the event some cowboys want their heads of cattle to munch government-owned grass,” the website stated.

Bundy gained national attention in April during an: armed standoff: in Nevada over cattle grazing rights.: 

Below is a screenshot of the official solicitation from the U.S.D.A. (Click to expand)

[6]This type of domestic military build up by federal: agencies is unprecedented and: has never been seen in the history of this country, not even while: the ‘war mongering’ George W. Bush administration was in charge. So the obvious question here is why now? Federal bureaucracies such as the U.S.D.A have a plethora of options at their disposal should they need protection or security, namely local and state police, US Marshals, the FBI, the National Guard, and other military branches. Why would these options not suffice?

If there is a legitimate need, the American people deserve an explanation. Until then, Congress should request a list of all agencies that have been armed, what they are armed with and how much ammunition they have.

Also Read: Virginia Bans Charity Car Washes[7]