In a bipartisan letter, John Ratcliffe, (R-TX) and 238 other Members of Congress expressed 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 5 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.”
“I am deeply concerned about this new attempt by the Obama administration to interfere in the lives of Americans. The Constitution explicitly states that the people’s right to bear arms shall not be infringed upon,” said Ratcliffe. “I will stand strong against any effort which attempts to deny or limit this right. As a committed conservative, I stand firmly behind the Constitution and the God-given, inalienable rights we are endowed with. I anxiously await the response from Director Jones.”
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.
View the ATF FRAMEWORK FOR DETERMINING WHETHER CERTAIN PROJECTILES ARE “PRIMARILY INTENDED FOR SPORTING PURPOSES” WITHIN THE MEANING OF 18 U.S.C. 921(a)(17)(C)
