In a down-to-the-wire early Thursday morning 215-214 vote, the U.S. House passed a sweeping budget reconciliation package which includes removing firearm suppressors from regulation under the 1934 National Firearms Act, achieving a victory for proponents of the Hearing Protection Act.
It came after manufacturers, dozens of politicians and Second Amendment leaders had signed letters to House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, and to Reps. Jodey C. Arrington, chair of the House Budget Committee and Virginia Foxx, chair of the House Rules Committee, calling for inclusion of the suppressor language.
According to Fox News, “The bill is a sweeping multi-trillion-dollar piece of legislation that advances Trump’s agenda on taxes, immigration, energy, defense and the national debt. It’s sought to make a dent in the federal government’s spending trajectory by cutting roughly $1.5 trillion in government spending elsewhere.”
Suppressor reform is being hailed by gun rights leaders.
Alan Gottlieb, founder and executive vice president of the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) and chairman of the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms released a statement saying, “We are thrilled House members recognized the importance of removing silencers from the National Firearms Act. Eliminating the cumbersome process of acquiring suppressors would make the shooting sports – whether it’s hunting or shooting at the range – a more enjoyable experience for everyone. Unlike you see in the movies, silencers by no means make a gunshot silent, they merely reduce the noise to a safer level. We are encouraged H.R. 1 passed the House with Section 2 of the Hearing Protection Act in place, and we are hopeful this important piece of the legislation remains intact.”
“We’d like to thank members of the House for passing H.R. 1 with Section 2 of the Hearing Protection Act included,” said Adam Kraut, SAF executive director. “Removing silencers from the National Firearms Act eliminates a large barrier that infringes on the Second Amendment rights of Americans. While there are many components to the bill, we are cautiously optimistic the inclusion of Section 2 makes it through Senate approval and will finally remove silencers from the NFA. Such a result would serve to allow Americans access to devices which helps protect their hearing and reduce noise pollution to neighboring properties. Even former President Theodore Roosevelt utilized silencers for these very purposes.”
But all is not joy. In a report at The New Republic headlined “Republicans Sneak Terrifying Gun Law Change Into Trump’s Budget Bill,” Rep. Joe Neguse (D-Colorado) demanded, “So, whose vote was bought with this provision that silencers will no longer need to be registered with the ATF or subject to background check purchasers?”
While the budget reconciliation package has cleared one hurdle, another looms. Getting the package through the U.S. Senate is on the horizon, and for the Second Amendment community to score final victory on suppressors, the HPA components must remain intact.
