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Press Releases

WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR) joined Sens. Roger Marshall (R-KS) and John Kennedy (R-LA) led their colleagues in introducing the Stop Harassing Owners of Rifles Today (SHORT) Act to undo the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) federal registry for firearms with stabilizing braces by clarifying that short-barreled rifles cannot be further regulated.

“The Biden administration is once again attempting to punish law-abiding Americans, including disabled veterans who have made tremendous sacrifices to protect our rights,” Boozman said. “Federal bureaucrats have no authority to tamper with or undermine the Second Amendment. Our bill blocks ATF from acquiring information that could be used to confiscate firearms or target responsible gun owners.” 

“Finalization of this pistol brace rule represents the worst fears of gun owners across the country. The SHORT Act will protect Americans from the anti-2nd Amendment gun registry that the ATF is abusing the National Firearms Act to create. This Congress, I challenge my colleagues in both chambers to make protecting Americans’ 2nd Amendment Rights a priority and sign onto this legislation that will stop the ATF’s pistol brace rule in its tracks,” said Marshall.

“The Biden administration is going to keep looking for ways to penalize law-abiding gunowners unless Congress makes their rights clear. A brace that countless disabled Americans use to exercise their Second Amendment rights should not be regulated by unelected anti-gun bureaucrats, and this bill would force the Biden ATF to stop devising new restrictions for legal firearms,” Kennedy said

Senators John Barrasso (R-WY), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Steve Daines (R-MT), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Mike Lee (R-UT), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Rand Paul (R-KY), Mike Risch (R-ID), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Rick Scott (R-FL) and John Thune (R-SD) are also original cosponsors of this legislation.

Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-GA-09) introduced a companion bill in the House of Representatives.

The National Rifle Association (NRA) and Gun Owners of America (GOA) have both endorsed the SHORT Act.

“Given the ATF’s most recent assault on the Second Amendment, this important legislation will protect the right of law-abiding Americans to choose the firearm that best suits their needs while eliminating an outdated and onerous taxing and registration scheme. If passed, American gun owners will no longer have to fear the unconstitutional and arbitrary reinterpretations of the law by unelected, anti-gun bureaucrats,” said Jason Ouimet, Executive Director for NRA Institute for Federal Affairs.  

“The Stop Harassing Owners of Rifles Today (SHORT) Act will repeal elements of the archaic National Firearms Act, which the Biden ATF is using to justify their pistol ban and ‘amnesty registration’ plan – a policy change that affects millions of law-abiding gun owners and does nothing to curb rising crime. GOA is proud to support the Stop Harassing Owners of Rifles Act, which will protect millions of gun owners, halt these anti-gun infringements, and restore liberty,” said Aidan Johnston, GOA’s Director of Federal Affairs. 

In response to this ATF rule, the Arkansas Sheriff’s Association issued an open letter vowing not to enforce this “offensive affront to the rights of citizens of the State of Arkansas.”