05.17.24

Hoeven, Colleagues Introduce Legislation to Strike Down Unconstitutional ATF Rule

WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven and 41 Senate Republicans introduced a joint resolution of disapproval under the Congressional Review Act (CRA), led by U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Thom Tillis (R-NC), to block the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) rule on the definition of “Engaged in the Business” as a Dealer in Firearms, which disregards the law and congressional intent and violates the Constitution by trying to force anyone who sells a firearm to register as a federal firearm licensee.

“This ATF rule requiring anyone who sells a firearm to register as a federal firearm licensee is government overreach at its finest as it completely ignores the law, congressional intent and the Constitution,” said Hoeven. “Our CRA will stop this rule and hold the Biden administration accountable as we continue to work to ensure Americans maintain their Second Amendment right to bear arms.”

“This rule is proof that the Biden administration is a dishonest broker, and Congress must hold it accountable for its actions in favor of its gun-grabbing liberal base over the Constitutional rights of law-abiding Americans,” said Cornyn. “We will fight this lawless rule tooth and nail to ensure the God-given right to keep and bear arms is preserved and this flagrant distortion of congressional intent of our landmark mental health and school safety law is struck down.”

“It is outrageous that the Biden Administration decided to take a good faith effort to curb the mental health crisis across our country and turn it into an unconstitutional attempt to restrict firearms from law-abiding American citizens,” said Tillis. “This overreach is exactly why Republicans don’t trust this Administration, and it will setback any attempt on future bipartisan legislation as long as President Biden is in office. I encourage my colleagues to support this CRA we introduced and immediately overturn this ridiculous regulation.”

Additional cosponsors of the resolution include Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Senators Roger Marshall (R-KS), Ted Budd (R-NC), John Kennedy (R-LA), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Steve Daines (R-MT), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Rick Scott (R-FL), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), John Boozman (R-AR), Jim Risch (R-ID), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Dan Sullivan (R-A), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Mike Lee (R-UT), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Josh Hawley (R-MO), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Mitt Romney (R-UT), James Lankford (R-OK), John Thune (R-SD), Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), Tim Scott (R-SC), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Mike Braun (R-IN), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), J.D. Vance (R-OH), John Barrasso (R-WY), Katie Britt (R-AL), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Eric Schmitt (R-MO), and Ron Johnson (R-WI.)

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