Washington, D.C. — A coalition of national and state-level gun rights organizations issued a direct and uncompromising call to House Speaker Mike Johnson and Rules Committee Chair Rep. Virginia Foxx this week, urging the U.S. House to seize what they call the “most significant opportunity in modern history” to dismantle federal gun control — starting with the National Firearms Act of 1934.

The National Association for Gun Rights (NAGR), joined by Texas Gun Rights, Florida Gun Rights, and other state affiliates, submitted a hard-hitting open letter on May 20 demanding complete deregulation of suppressors and repeal of restrictions on short-barreled rifles and shotguns via the ongoing budget reconciliation process.

“For 90 years, the NFA has subjected Americans to unconstitutional infringements,” the letter states. “Do not waste this chance to effectuate a complete rollback of the NFA and its unconstitutional provisions.”

Suppressors: A Safety Tool, Not a Felony

The groups argue that suppressors — wrongly labeled ‘silencers’ by Hollywood and anti-gun politicians — are in fact safety devices that protect hearing and reduce recoil, yet are treated by the federal government as if they’re hand grenades.

Under the current NFA, Americans must submit to a federal background check, register their suppressor, and pay a $200 tax stamp, then wait up to a year for bureaucrats to grant permission.

There is no clear record why suppressors were added to the NFA in the first place. As the letter notes, Congress introduced no safety data, no crime statistics, and no evidence of criminal abuse when it first regulated them.

“Suppressor regulation is a burden on law-abiding gun owners that lacks any shadow of justification, either practical or Constitutional,” the letter reads.

SHORT Act: A Key Step to Restoring 2A Rights

Beyond suppressors, the letter also calls for including the “Stop Harassing Owners of Rifles Today” (SHORT) Act in the reconciliation bill — legislation that would repeal federal restrictions on short-barreled rifles and shotguns, freeing responsible gun owners from delays, red tape, and taxation.The groups argue that such restrictions violate the Supreme Court’s Heller and Bruen rulings, which affirm that the Second Amendment protects arms “in common use” and that regulation must be consistent with the nation’s history and tradition.

“The SHORT Act is a necessary step to fully restore Second Amendment rights… restrictions on these firearms are arbitrary and unnecessary,” they wrote.

Political Pressure, No Party Exempt

In a pointed closing, the coalition warned members of the House Rules Committee and GOP leadership that “all legislative actions or inactions” will be scored and reported to their members — regardless of party affiliation.Signing the letter were:

Dudley Brown, President, National Association for Gun Rights

Chris McNutt, President, Texas Gun Rights

Matt Mammoser, Executive Director, Florida Gun Rights

Ian Escalante, Executive Director, Rocky Mountain Gun Owners

Brenden Boudreau, Executive Director, Great Lakes Gun Rights

Craig Storrs, Jr., Executive Director, Pennsylvania Gun Rights

Tommy Dimsdale, Executive Director, Palmetto Gun Rights

The message is clear: gun owners are watching, and they expect real action — not rhetorical posturing.

“The Second Amendment is not a second-class right,” the letter concludes. “Gun owners did not give you the majorities only to perpetuate continued abuses of our right to bear arms.”

With the budget reconciliation bill moving swiftly, the coming days may prove pivotal in determining whether this Congress is willing to finally pull the plug on one of the longest-standing federal infringements in American firearms history.

You can read the letter here.