A large group of gun-rights group leaders have sent a letter to two U.S. House Committee leaders. The letter demands that sections on hearing protection and short-barreled rifles (SBRs) be added back into the Budget Reconciliation Bill.
The Budget Reconciliation Bill
A Pro-Rights Focus
The organizations are angry that portions of the Hearing Protection Act, which would remove suppressors from under the National Firearm Act, and language removing SBRs from under the NFA were removed during the committee process.
The letter, addressed to Rep. Jodi Arrington, chairman of the House Budget Committee, and Rep. Virginia Fox, chairman of the House Rules Committee, left no doubt that the organizations were not just making a request.
“As leaders of the undersigned organizations, we demand immediate inclusion of portions of the Hearing Protection Act (H.R. 404) and the Stop Harassing owners of Rifles Today (SHORT) Act (H.R. 2395) in the forthcoming reconciliation bill,” the letter stated.
“These critical pieces of legislation address longstanding, unjust restrictions imposed by the National Firearms Act (NFA) of 1934, which infringe upon the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding Americans. The failure to incorporate these bills into the reconciliation package would represent a profound missed opportunity to restore individual liberty, protect public health and uphold constitutional guarantees.”
The letter pointed out that language compliant with the U.S. Senate “Byrd rule” (2 U.S.C. 644) is circulating in the Second Amendment community and should be incorporated into the current budget reconciliation package before a vote is taken.
An Urgent Call
“The urgency of including this language in the reconciliation package cannot be overstated,” the letter said. “Recent reports indicate that the House Ways and Means Committee has delayed action on both H.R. 404 and H.R. 2395, potentially due to lobbying efforts that prioritize commercial interests over the public good. Such delays are unacceptable, particularly when public sentiment, as reflected in numerous grassroots calls to action, overwhelmingly supports NFA reform.
“The reconciliation process offers a unique opportunity to bypass Senate filibuster constraints, ensuring that these common-sense reforms reach the House floor and become law. Failure to seize this moment risks further entrenching an antiquated and unconstitutional regulatory regime.”
Organizations whose leaders signed the letter included:
- Grass Roots North Carolina
- Rights Watch International
- Montana Shooting Sports Association
- Virginia Citizens Defense League
- Florida Carry
- New York State Rifle & Pistol Association
- New Hampshire Firearms Coalition
- Oregon Firearms Federation
- Women for Gun Rights
- Firearms Owners Against Crime Institute
- Gun Owners of New Hampshire
- Minnesota Gun Owners
- Virginia Shooting Sports Association
- Gun Owners of Maine
- Connecticut Citizens Defense League
- Texas State Rifle Association
- Indiana State Rifle and Pistol Association
- South Carolina Carry
- West Virginia Citizens Defense League
- Coalition of New Jersey Firearm Owners
- Maryland Shall Issue
- Illinois State Rifle Association
- Women’s Defense League of NH
- Allegheny County Sportsmen’s League
- Beaver County Sportsmen’s Conservation League
- Unified Sportsmen of Pennsylvania
- 2nd Amendment Organization
- Two NRA Board of Director members
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