Posted on 02/06/2023 10:13:00 AM PST by Right Wing Vegan
Senate Republicans have joined their House colleagues in seeking to block a new Biden administration rule that targets arm-bracing devices used for firearms — although they stop short of wanting to abolish the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
Last week, Florida Republican Sen. Rick Scott joined Sen. Roger Marshall and several other GOP senators to introduce the Stop Harassing Owners of Rifles Today, or SHORT, Act.
As The Free Press reported last month, the ATF released a 291-page rule that would reclassify pistol-stabilizing braces into the same category as short-barreled rifles.
The National Firearms Act requires gun owners to register short-barreled rifles with the federal government.
Florida GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz responded with a bill to abolish the ATF.
The rule, said Gaetz, “unfairly punishes disabled gun owners and veterans who rely on stabilizing braces to be able to fire with one hand.”
During the public comment period, the ATF received more than 237,000 comments about the new rule. Only 8% were in favor of it.
In the Senate, Scott, and Marshall, do not seek action against the ATF specifically.
Instead, they and others filed a bill to end the “unconstitutional” taxation, registration, and regulation of short-barreled rifles, shotguns, and other weapons the feds want to lump into this group.
A press release from Scott’s office noted, “Senator Marshall’s bill is needed to push back against the Biden Administration’s attacks on millions of gun owners with his attempted ban on certain pistols through the ATF’s rule change.”
“Using the NFA, the Biden Administration is pretending people who own pistols with stabilizing braces, in fact possess illegal short-barreled rifles. ATF is using this excuse to facilitate a ban, forcing gun owners to violate their rule or participate in an unconstitutional ‘Amnesty Registration of Pistol Brace weapons,’ in order to keep their own firearms.”
“The only way to protect gun owners from the Biden Administration and ensure the ATF does not enact this rule (or any future version of it) is by deregulating NFA firearms through the elimination of unconstitutional and unnecessary restrictions, taxation, and registration placed on NFA firearms in 1934.”
In a statement, Sen. Scott said, “I’m a proud supporter of our Constitution and the 2nd Amendment. Biden and the far left’s blatant attempt to push overreaching policies that infringe on the rights of law-abiding Americans is completely unacceptable. Our bill, the SHORT Act, stops the ATF’s ridiculous attempt to make criminals of law-abiding gun owners and protects the constitutional rights our nation was founded on.”
The right to infringe shall not be limited. /s
The short-barrel rifle (SBR) law breaks the 2nd Amendment. Maybe placing legally-purchased braced pistols into the SBR category will finally get the SBR law dec1lared unconstitutional.
If a longer rifle is protected under the 2nd, and a shorter pistol is protect as well, then what could possibly render a firearm between these lengths illegal?
Answer: Nothing.
Two senators with last name of Scott. In the future: Please specify in headline. (If it is not too much trouble.)
The idiotic thing is that current law follows the Constitution only partially: if I kill someone in a holdup, neither the holdup nor the murder can be Federal crimes because of the Federal government's Constitutional limits on jurisdiction.
But if I happen to have been already convicted of a felony, or if I have an unlicensed SBR or suppressor, then the Fed Gov magically acquires jurisdiction.
What Constitutional provision magically conveys the power to regulate possession of anything that does not cross state lines?
291 pages to say “this is a rifle.” These guys are needed in Congress. Looks like the ATF might not be a friend o the American people, either. But then, were they ever?
Take the ATF’s funding away. That is the only way to get their attention.
All the house has to do is establish the budget for the ATF at $2.79 for the next five years. Problem solved.
Obviously, the feds have an issue with accuracy.
A brace doesn’t make your AR pistol any more concealable nor does it increase the rate of fire.
It allows you to be more accurate, which is not equitable to the homie who holds his Hi Point sideways, above his head as he sprays lead into the crowd.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.