New gun legislation would push back against a
controversial policy from the Obama administration effectively banning
armor-piercing ammunition.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) proposed
last week to prohibit gun companies from manufacturing and selling
5.56mm projectiles for M855 cartridges that provide ammunition for AR-15
rifles.
But the move is causing an uproar among Republicans, who suggest it would trample on hunters’ Second Amendment rights.
The Protecting Second Amendment Rights Act, introduced Friday by Rep. Tom Rooney (R-Fla.), would roll back the ATF’s power to regulate ammunition.
“The
Obama administration’s proposal would unilaterally strip law-abiding
hunters and sportsmen of their Second Amendment rights,” Rooney said in a
statement. “Congress has made its intentions clear that this ammunition
is for sporting purposes and should not be restricted. We cannot and we
will not stand by while the Obama administration tramples on the
Constitution, the rule of law, and the Second Amendment rights of
hunters.”
AR-15 rifles are popular with some hunters,
but they provide a big cause for concern for law enforcement officials
because they can fire bullets to penetrate bullet-proof vests.
To
date, the ammunition for AR-15s has been exempt from the Law
Enforcement Officers Act, but the ATF’s draft framework would change
that.
“No final determinations have been made and we
won’t make any determinations until we’ve reviewed the comments
submitted by industry, law enforcement and the public at large,” ATF
spokesman Corey Ray told The Hill last week.
But
Republicans are looking to pre-empt the ammunition restrictions. The
Protecting Second Amendment Rights Act would "would prohibit the ATF or
any other federal agency from issuing or enforcing any new restriction
or prohibition on the manufacture, importation or sale of ammunition in
the United States."
Guess what?
ReplyDeleteIt won't.
You're right-the bill's authors are the one's that claim it will-I just used the headline that was with the story,if passed-technically,it would prevent BATFEIEIO from regulating ammo,but I don't see it happeneing because there will be bleatings about "it's for the safety of our police officers", the "ammunition can penetrate bullet proof vests" and other such nonsense that will prevent the bill from passing-or if it passes-Obola will just veto it.
ReplyDelete