Washington, D.C. – In a bipartisan letter led by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) and Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations Subcommittee Chairman Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wisc.), 239 Members of Congress express strong concern to Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Director B. Todd Jones about the Obama Administration’s plan to ban a popular bullet used for the AR-15. Americans own more than five million AR-15s, which are the most commonly used rifles for sports shooting as well as home protection.
Although the ammunition used for the AR-15 has been exempted under federal law for sporting purposes for over 30 years – which allows it to be lawfully manufactured, imported, and sold on the civilian market in the United States – the ATF recently announced a “Framework” with the intention to ban the manufacture and importation of the second-most common ammunition used for the AR-15, the M855 or “green tip.”
In the letter, the Members of Congress write that the ATF’s “Framework” “establishes an unduly restrictive standard, does not comport with the letter or spirit of the law, and will interfere with Second Amendment rights by disrupting the market for ammunition that law abiding Americans use for sporting and other legitimate purposes.” They also express concern that the agency’s “Framework” was not published in the federal register, which is required when the Executive Branch creates a new rule.
The letter and list of Members who signed it can be found here.