Republicans are still looking for ways to kill the Obama administration’s failed bullet ban for good.
Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) has proposed a budget amendment that would block the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives from banning ammunition used for sporting purposes.
“Congress has spoken time and again on its intent to protect Americans’ Second Amendment rights, but the Obama Administration is responding by going around Congress through regulations,” Inhofe said in a statement. “This amendment would protect popular ammunition used for sporting purposes from being banned under the current administration.”
Earlier this year ATF had considered a ban on all “armor piercing” ammunition, including bullets that had previously received a sporting use exemption. After receiving thousands of negative comments on the proposal, ATF backed down and pulled the idea for the time being.
The Obama administration has already pledged its “commitment” to continued efforts at passing gun control, and strongly supported the initial idea for the ban. This had led to a slew of ammo-related legislation in the last several weeks.
Reps. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.)and Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) have both introduced separate bills to ban the ammo, while Reps. Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) and Tom Rooney (R-Fla.) have bills protecting ammo use from bans.
Inhofe simultaneously introduced three other gun-related amendments: one would “continue the prohibition regarding the establishment of a national firearms registry,” another blocks federal agencies from targeting firearms dealers through their bank accounts, and another deals with the use of taxpayer funds towards implementing the U.N. Arms Trade Treaty (UNATT).
