Press Releases

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR) announced his support for legislation that would prevent an overreach of authority by the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms and Explosives(ATF) to implement ‘emergency’ gun regulations.

Bipartisan legislation introduced by Senators Jon Tester (D-MT) and John Ensign (R-NV) prevents ATF from collecting records on thousands of Americans’ gun purchases as well as forbidding the Department of Justice from using any federal funds to expand reporting requirements on firearms.

“ATF is overstepping its jurisdiction. This proposal is nothing more than backroom deal that strikes at the heart of American rights. This legislation is important to maintaining our rights granted by the U.S. Constitution. We must ensure the rights and freedoms of law-abiding citizens are protected,” Boozman said.

ATF proposed emergency authority to require federally licensed firearm dealers to file reports with ATF on all sales of two or more semi-automatic rifles within five consecutive business days if the rifles are larger than .22 caliber and use detachable magazines. The agency claims this power grab is necessary to help combat violence on the U.S.-Mexico border.

In February, Boozman co-signed a letter with 16 other Senators to the Acting Director of ATF and the Director of Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on ATF’s request and reasoning.

“Violence along the Southwest border is a serious issue, and one that we do not take lightly. However, we are troubled that the Administration would focus not on securing the border and enforcing laws already on the books, but instead on hampering the constitutional rights of American citizens.

We urge the ATF and OMB to abandon this ill-conceived proposal. This proposed policy change is a “solution” looking for a problem, and unfounded and misguided protests by foreign governments should not lead to regulatory actions not based on statutory authority,” the letter states.

Boozman’s commitment to protecting and defending Second Amendment rights has earned him high scores with Second Amendment groups including, an A rating from the NRA and an A+ from Gun Owners for America.

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