Republicans are fighting back against the Obama administration’s utter disregard for the Second Amendment. As the appeal of gun control legislation continues to lose its luster, GOP lawmakers are pushing to reverse numerous controversial gun regulations from the the administration through a bill to fund the Justice Department (DOJ).
According to The Hill, these provisions include blocking the DOJ from banning military-style assault rifles and high-powered bullets for handguns, and collecting data about certain gun sales. Republicans are using appropriations riders to make the DOJ’s funding “contingent on federal authorities following these rules.” The bill easily cruised through the House by a 242-183 tally.
It’s no secret that President Obama has been reckless in his abuse of executive actions. Back in January of 2014, Obama boasted, “I’ve got a pen, and I’ve got a phone.” While he wasn’t directly referring to gun-related executive orders with this comment, he has never failed to take advantage of tragic shootings to advance his gun control agenda. With Congress (and majority of Americans) against him, President Obama has resorted to executive action to accomplish his gun control agenda.
Republicans are seeking to end the cycle of constitutional abuse. As NRA spokeswoman Jennifer Baker notes, “We need to stop the Obama administration from bypassing Congress on gun control.”
Needless to say, most Democrats are not happy, and are doing all they can to villainize those who support the amendments.
Rep. Steve Israel (D-NY) noted that Republicans are “governing dangerously,” and that “Congress should be passing common-sense gun safety laws to save lives and keep our men and women in uniform safe” – aka gun control. To Rep. Israel and his gun-grabbing colleagues, the only “safe” gun is one that is removed from the hands of American citizens.
In reality, the amendments seem like pretty “common-sense” gun safety laws to anyone who actually owns a gun.
One provision would block federal agents from giving guns to drug cartels as part of sting operations, which is exactly what the ATF did between 2006 and 2011. “Safe” gun control legislation promoted by Rep. Israel and his anti-gun colleagues would not have stopped the death of United States Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry, who was murdered as a result of the so-called “Operation Fast and Furious.”
Shouldn’t all men and women in uniform be protected?
Moreover, under another provision from Rep. Diane Black (R-TN), the ATF would no longer be able to require gun owners to disclose their race and ethnicity when purchasing a gun. As Rep. Black notes, “Why does it make a difference what my race is, as long as I’m a law-abiding citizen?” Of course, it means something to liberals, who will likely use the information to target legal gun ownership in urban areas.
Probably the most controversial riders deal with the ATF’s threat to ban armor-piercing ammunition. The ATF moved forward with the ban in February, then conceded, but left it open to consideration in the future. The provisions in this bill would block future action. This type of ammo is popular among hunters, and a ban would open the door to prohibiting other types of ammo that are considered “too dangerous for public use.” An armor-piercing ammo ban would only create a market for it on the street, where criminals will still be able to procure them.
Sadly, the appeals of gun rights activists in Congress will fall on deaf ears once this bill lands on President Obama’s desk. He will likely try to use it for political gain as he demonizes Republicans for threatening DOJ funding.
Despite this bleak outlook, there’s still hope: If Republicans can resist the pressure and make the argument, gun control activists will be put on the defense in 2016.
The views and opinions expressed in this post are those of the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the position of Guns.com.
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