Sen. Cramer, Colleagues Oppose DOJ Expanding Firearm Definitions and Creating National Gun Registry

Statement

U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) joined Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) in introducing a Congressional Review Act Joint Resolution of Disapproval (CRA) to prohibit President Biden's Department of Justice from implementing a new rule to expand firearm definitions.

The Biden Administration wants to institute a final rule redefining a "firearm" under federal law to not only mean a complete product, but also its individual parts, often included in a weapons parts kit. If implemented, this new rule would require gun kits and gun parts to be regulated as if they were fully functional firearms--meaning they wouldn't be able to be sold without a serial number or without the buyer having to undergo a background check. The new rule would also require those with Federal Firearms Licenses to retain records permanently, in effect creating a national firearms registry. The current rule, which the Biden Administration seeks to change, allows for the disposal of records after 20 years.

"The Second Amendment guarantees the right to bear arms to all citizens, but the Biden Administration wants to use bureaucracy and red tape to weaken this fundamental freedom and prohibit law abiding citizens from exercising their rights," said Senator Cramer. "This resolution will prohibit the Biden DOJ from issuing a final rule expanding the definition of firearm and creating a national gun registry, which protects our hunters, sportsmen and firearm owners from more federal overreach."

"For the past two years, we've seen crime rates skyrocket all across the country, aided by Democrats' soft-on crime policies and left-wing district attorneys operating like progressive activists instead of law enforcement officers. Democrats would love nothing more than to shift the blame and stoke anti-gun sentiment, and create a permanent national gun registry in the process. By introducing this resolution, we're pushing back--we want to stop the Biden administration from issuing the final rule expanding the definition of firearms and instituting a national gun registry, we want to stop the false narrative that links the rise in crime to "ghost guns' and firearms, and we want to protect law-abiding citizens who are exercising their Second Amendment rights," said Senator Cruz.

According to the Government Accountability Office, "The CRA allows Congress to review "major' rules issued by federal agencies before the rules take effect. Congress may also disapprove new rules, resulting in the rules having no force or effect."

Senators Cramer and Cruz are joined by Senators James Lankford (R-OK), Mike Braun (R-IN), Mike Lee (R-UT), Steve Daines (R-MT), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), John Thune (R-SD), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), John Boozman (R-AR), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Tom Cotton (R-AR), John Barrasso (R-WY), Mike Crapo (R-ID), James Risch (R-ID), James Inhofe (R-OK), John Hoeven (R-ND), Josh Hawley (R-MO), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Mike Rounds (R-SD), and Rand Paul (R-KY) .

Source