Peach Pundit - Congressman Doug Collins on ATF Backing Off New Regulations

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by Nathan

Congressman Doug Collins (R-GA-09) sent out a newsletter over the weekend about the successful challenge to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms' regulation targeting AR-15 ammunition:

"I received some good news this week. The Club for Growth, a limited-government group, scored my votes for economic freedom among the most consistent in Congress. I ranked 35th among members in 2014and am second among active Georgia members. I'm proud to be a free-market conservative!

"Also, a Fox News columnist called it a "rare victory," but Georgians' successful challenge to proposed Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms regulations, which would have regulated common ammunition for America's most popular rifle out of existence, was much more than that: It was a model for conservative action.

"The ATF, following another of the president's unconstitutional orders, after Americans denied him the power to tamper with our Second Amendment, introduced a new "framework" targeting hunting and sporting ammunition for the AR-15. The agency, re-interpreting 30-year old settled law, claimed criminals could adapt AR-15 ammo for handguns. The heavier rounds could therefore be "armor-piercing" and banned, according to a 1986 federal law Congress intended to protect police officers.

"However, in the same law, foreseeing the potential for government overreach, Congress also included a "sporting exemption" to protect the gun ownership rights of law-abiding citizens, whose rifles would be obsolete without necessary ammo. Sidestepping Congress' exemption, the agency failed to present proof that criminals are exploiting AR-15 rounds, failing even to publish its new rules in a transparent manner.

"As a member of the Congressional Sportsman's Caucus, I'm always on the lookout for infringements on our Second Amendment rights, essential freedoms like any other. So along with Georgia's entire House Republican delegation, I challenged the ATF Director to substantiate his agency's claims. Over 80,000 concerned citizens flooded the bureau with complaints, resulting in its withdrawal of its proposal late last week.

"Motivated and organized, we forced the agency to back off its unconstitutional regulations, another of the president's end-runs around the Constitution, Congress and popular opinion -- and showed how to stop him in the future."

Also, congratulations, Congressman on your rating from the Club for Growth!

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