Latest news with #NationalFirearmsAct
The Hill
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Silence kills: Now is the time to speak up against deadly gun silencers
In 2019, a gunman shot and killed 12 people in a Virginia Beach municipal building. His semiautomatic weapon was fitted with a silencer, making the gunshots sound, to one survivor, 'like a nail gun.' If the shots had been louder — if the people inside had been given even 30 more seconds of warning — lives could have perhaps been saved. But muffled sounds from the silencer created confusion and, ultimately, death. Silencers are dangerous. Now, they're more accessible than ever. Within President Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act was a little-noticed but dangerous provision eliminating the $200 federal tax requirement on firearm silencers. Sold as a win for freedom and self-defense, this repeal does nothing to make ordinary Americans safer. Instead, it makes it easier to acquire deadly tools that muffle the sound of gunfire, and can make shootings harder to detect and survive. On July 4, Trump signed the so-called 'big beautiful bill,' a 1,200-page piece of legislation that overhauled taxes, took down social programs, and included a long list of far-right priorities. Buried within it was a provision that eliminated the federal tax on gun silencers, and stripped away regulations under the National Firearms Act. For nearly a century, silencers, also called suppressors, were subject to a $200 tax and required a federal registration process with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. The goal wasn't to ban them outright, but to treat them with caution and scrutiny. By removing the tax, the bill treats them like ordinary firearm accessories. With the federal tax removed, the financial and procedural barriers that once slowed down silencer purchases are gone, making it easier and potentially faster to obtain them. In effect, this policy turns silencers into impulse buys available with minimal oversight, even in states with already loose gun laws. Supporters of the provision framed it as an effort to cut red tape, and to fully express Second Amendment freedoms. But in reality, it was a quiet win for the gun lobby — one that came at the cost of long-standing public safety protections. Silencers don't make guns completely silent, but they do make shootings harder to hear. That extra delay of seconds of confusion, lost sound or disbelief can cost lives. Proponents of silencer deregulation argue that suppressors reduce hearing damage for recreational shooters and make gun ranges less disruptive to neighbors. They frame the tax and registration process as bureaucratic overreach that burdens lawful gun owners. But these talking points ignore the ultimate threat to public safety that silencers carry: people have, and will continue to, die because of easy access to silencers. Further, with the removal of federal tax on silencers, the gun lobby is better equipped to argue in court against any and all government regulation of silencers. Even if silencers have some legitimate uses, removing the federal tax and treating them like common firearm accessories opens the door to widespread abuse. Responsible gun owners can still protect their hearing with earmuffs. Communities can't protect themselves from gunfire they never hear coming. This repeal didn't happen by accident. It slipped through quietly, buried in a massive bill, with little debate and even less public awareness. But that doesn't mean the story ends here. What happens when silencers become easier to buy than ever before? What role can we play in making sure our communities stay safe, and our voices stay heard? Maybe it starts with a message to a senator, a petition, or a post. Maybe it's showing up at a town hall, or supporting groups already doing the work: groups like Brady United Against Gun Violence, Everytown, Moms Demand Action, Giffords, and Sandy Hook Promise. We don't all have the same tools. But we all have a voice. And in the face of policies that turn down the volume on violence, maybe the most powerful thing we can do is refuse to stay quiet. If our leaders won't raise the alarm, we have to. Because the more we let silence spread, the more dangerous this country becomes. It's time to make some noise and address this hidden upheaval of public safety.
Newsweek
05-07-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
Trump's 'Big, Beautiful Bill' Sparks Gun Group Lawsuit Within Hours
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Several gun rights groups filed a lawsuit to dismantle what is left of the National Firearms Act (NFA) shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump signed his package of tax breaks and spending cuts into law on Friday. The legislation reduced the NFA's excise tax on suppressors, short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns and any other weapons to $0. Gun Owners of America (GOA) and other plaintiffs argue in the lawsuit—which they have dubbed the "One Big Beautiful Lawsuit"—that the Supreme Court had upheld the NFA as a tax statute and the constitutional justification for it no longer applies once the tax is eliminated. Newsweek has contacted the Department of Justice and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives—which are listed as defendants in the lawsuit—for comment via a contact form on the DOJ's website and email. File photo: Donald Trump signs the One Big Beautiful Bill Act into law on the South Lawn of the White House on July 4, 2025 in Washington, D.C. File photo: Donald Trump signs the One Big Beautiful Bill Act into law on the South Lawn of the White House on July 4, 2025 in Washington, Context The National Firearms Act was first enacted in 1934 to regulates firearms considered the most dangerous and crack down on gangland crime in the Prohibition era. The law had imposed a $200 tax on machine guns and shotguns and rifles with barrels shorter than 18 inches, and also required the federal registration of these types of firearms. Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act eliminates the $200 fee that gun owners are charged when purchasing silencers and short-barreled rifles, but it remains in effect for machine guns and explosive devices. What To Know In a press release on Thursday, Gun Owners of America said its team had been "working behind the scenes" with lawmakers since the November election to repeal the NFA fully. The group said congressional Republicans had allowed "an unelected bureaucrat" to block the provision. GOA added that Congress ultimately "settled for reducing the NFA's $200 excise tax to $0 on suppressors, short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns, and any other weapons or AOWs—teeing up GOA's legal challenge." GOA also said it has also long argued that the NFA's registration mandates "violate the Second Amendment and are an unconstitutional overreach of federal power." The authors of the NFA "left no doubt that the NFA was an exercise of the taxing power, and the Supreme Court upheld it on that basis," says the lawsuit, which was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas. "But the NFA no longer imposes any tax on the vast majority of firearms it purports to regulate. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which Congress and the President enacted on July 4, 2025, zeros the manufacture and transfer tax on nearly all NFA-regulated firearms. That means the constitutional foundation on which the NFA rested has dissolved. And the NFA cannot be upheld under any other Article I power. With respect to the untaxed firearms, the Act is now unconstitutional." What People Are Saying Erich Pratt, senior vice president of GOA, said in a statement: "This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to dismantle one of the most abusive federal gun control laws on the books. With the tax struck down by Congress, the rest of the NFA is standing on air. We're ready to take this fight to the courts and finally end the federal registry once and for all." Sam Paredes said in a statement on behalf of the board for Gun Owners Foundation: "The Supreme Court has made clear that the NFA survives only as a tax law. Once the President signs this bill and the tax disappears, the registry becomes an unconstitutional relic. GOF is prepared to go to court and challenge every remaining provision that violates the Second Amendment." Representative Mike Thompson, a Democrat and chairman of the House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on Wednesday: "Congressional Republicans are giving a handout to the gun lobby by eliminating the $200 tax on silencers and easily concealable short-barreled rifles and short-barreled shotguns. We've regulated silencers and these guns for 90+ years for a reason: to keep people safe." Emma Brown, the executive director of GIFFORDS, an organization focused on preventing gun violence, said in a statement this week: "Almost 100 years of precedent has kept silencers and short-barreled firearms out of easy reach for criminals. But with this bill, Republicans are laying the groundwork to gut safeguards that stopped criminals from getting these deadly weapons. This vote is proof that the 'law and order' rhetoric Donald Trump has pushed for years rings hollow. In siding with the gun industry CEOs, he has handed criminals a win, and communities will suffer the deadly consequences." What Happens Next The lawsuit asks the court to declare that the NFA's registration and transfer requirements pertaining to untaxed firearms "exceed Congress's enumerated powers" and block the defendants from "implementing, enforcing, or otherwise acting under the authority of the NFA with respect to untaxed firearms."
Yahoo
29-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Republicans hit major setback in their effort to ease regulations on gun silencers
WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican efforts to loosen regulations on gun silencers and short-barreled rifles and shotguns have been dealt a big setback with the Senate parliamentarian advising that the proposal would need to clear a 60-vote threshold if included in their big tax and immigration bill. Gun rights groups had been lobbying aggressively for the measure, which would essentially treat silencers and the short-barreled firearms like long guns. Gun-control groups celebrated the parliamentarian's ruling, saying the items have been regulated for nearly 100 years for good reason — they are a threat to first responders and communities. The House version of the GOP's bill removed silencers — called 'suppressors' by the gun industry — from a 1930s law that regulates firearms considered the most dangerous, and in the process, would have eliminated a $200 tax. The Senate kept the provision on silencers in its version of the bill and expanded upon it, adding short-barreled, or sawed-off, rifles and shotguns. Under the National Firearms Act, potential buyers of the regulated weapons must also undergo a finger-print based background check. There is no deadline for such checks. The process is arguably more thorough than the name-based background check completed for other firearms purchases. Lawmakers said the silencers provision was deemed by the Senate parliamentarian to be in violation of the 'Byrd Rule,' which stipulates that the budget changes sought in the legislation cannot be 'merely incidental' to the policy changes. The special rules are designed to deter provisions unrelated to spending or taxes from being included in the bill. 'It's no surprise that Republicans will jump at any opportunity to please the gun lobby by rolling back gun safety measures, but that kind of policy does not belong in a reconciliation bill," said Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore. Gun rights groups complained about the $200 tax and how the background check process often takes weeks and even months for silencers and short-barreled weapons. Larry Keane of the National Shooting Sports Foundation, who supports the legislation, said before the ruling that the proposed changes were aimed at helping target shooters and hunters protect their hearing. He argued that the use of silencers in violent crimes is rare. 'All it's ever intended to do is to reduce the report of the firearm to hearing safe levels,' Keane said. John Commerford, executive director of the National Rifle Association's Institute for Legislative Action, disagreed with the parliamentarian's ruling, noting that she was originally appointed by then-Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Democrat. 'Nevertheless, we remain committed to working with our allies on Capitol Hill to end the unjust tax burden on these constitutionally-protected arms,' Commerford said. Groups opposed to the measure included Giffords, the gun violence prevention organization co-founded by former Rep. Gabby Giffords who was grievously wounded in a 2011 mass shooting in her district. Emma Brown, the group's executive director said 'removing safeguards on gun silencers would have made it easier for violent criminals to escape, putting both law enforcement and civilians at greater risk.' "What's more, removing safeguards on short barreled firearms would have only enabled more criminals to access these easily concealable weapons, which can be easily brought into large crowds,' Brown said. The gun language had broad support among Republicans and has received little attention as House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., work to settle differences within the party on cuts to Medicaid and energy tax credits, among other issues. It is just one of hundreds of policy and spending items that were included to entice members to vote for the legislation and will have broad implications in the years to come.
The Hill
28-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Republicans restore bill language eliminating $200 fees for silencers and short-barrel rifles
Senate Republicans have revised language in President Trump's 'big, beautiful bill' to eliminate the $200 tax stamp for firearm silencers — also known as suppressors — and scrap a similar tax stamp for short-barrel rifles. It's a win for Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), a senior member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, who pushed for the measure. Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough on Friday ruled against a section of the bill that removes regulations pertaining to gun silencers and easily concealable firearms under the National Firearms Act. She said the provision, which would have eliminated enhanced background checks for individuals who purchase suppressors, violated the Byrd Rule, which governs what legislation is eligible to pass the Senate with a simple-majority vote. Legislation advanced through the upper chamber on the budget reconciliation fast track must be primarily of a budgetary nature. Significant policy changes that have a tangential or incidental budgetary impact are subject to 60-vote point-of-order objections. The elimination of the $200 tax stamps for suppressors and short-barrel rifles is included in Section 70436 of the revised Senate bill, which Senate Budget Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), released late Friday evening. Cornyn and Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz (R-Texas) scored another victory when GOP leaders kept language in the updated Senate bill providing $85 million for the transfer of the Discovery space shuttle from the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum to a non-profit group in Houston. The parliamentarian had advised on Friday that the section of the bill appropriating money for the transfer violated the Byrd Rule. Cornyn's and Cruz's staff revised the language later Friday to pass muster with the parliamentarian and it was included in the latest version of the Senate budget reconciliation bill. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) has told Republican colleagues they will vote to proceed to the House-passed reconciliation package on Saturday. Senators will then amend that bill with the 940-page Senate substitute text.
New York Post
28-06-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
Gun rights groups slams Senate parliamentarian's ruling on silencer deregulation: ‘Total garbage'
Gun rights groups fumed Friday after the Senate parliamentarian ruled that a provision deregulating firearm silencers cannot be included in President Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Republican lawmakers sought to eliminate a $200 federal excise tax on silencers and remove them from registration requirements under the National Firearms Act, but the parliamentarian, Elizabeth MacDonough, determined the measure did not comply with the Senate's Byrd Rule, which prevents the inclusion of measures deemed 'extraneous' to the budget process in reconciliation bills. 'The Parliamentarian's ruling is total garbage,' Dudley Brown, president of the National Association for Gun Rights, said in a statement. 'The [National Firearms Act] is explicitly a tax law. This partisan ruling is just another excuse to protect the unconstitutional tax-and-register regime of the NFA.' Republicans sought to eliminate a $200 tax on silencers and remove the device from the National Firearms Act. AFP/Getty Images Provisions that don't directly affect spending or revenue, as interpreted by the parliamentarian, violate the Byrd Rule. Brown urged senators to bypass the parliamentarian and include the silencer provision in the bill anyway. 'Any so-called 'advisor' who can't see that a tax repeal is a budget item has no business telling Senators how to vote,' Brown said. 'GOP leadership has one option: ignore the parliamentarian and override this nonsense. Anything less is surrender.' Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) has indicated in the past that he's unlikely to ignore the parliamentarian rulings. Therefore, the provision, if not rewritten to comply with the Byrd Rule, would need 60 votes to make it out of the Senate, rather than a simple majority. The National Rifle Association also slammed the parliamentarian, noting that she was appointed by the late Democratic Nevada Sen. Harry Reid. 'We strongly disagree with the Harry Reid-appointed Parliamentarian's ruling that removing suppressors, short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns, and other arms from the punitive NFA tax regime falls outside the scope of reconciliation,' the NRA said in a statement. 'Nevertheless, we remain committed to working with our allies on Capitol Hill to end the unjust tax burden on these constitutionally-protected arms.' Gun rights groups fumed over the Senate referee's ruling on silencer deregulation in Trump's 'big, beautiful' bill. AP Brown further argued that the Trump-backed bill is the 'biggest chance' gun rights advocates have had in decades to 'start tearing down the NFA.' 'It's not over yet,' he said. 'We expect pro-gun Senators to fight like hell, not cower and run for cover behind bureaucratic opinions.'
