On January 13th, Representative Eric Burlison (MO-07) introduced legislation to formally repeal the National Firearms Act of 1934.
An unprecedented violation of the 2nd Amendment for its time, the NFA was the first federally imposed gun control bill in American history. While the contents of the bill may seem tame by today’s standards, largely due to collective desensitization towards the stripping of American freedoms and liberties, it remains a tyrannical infringement on God-given rights that must be eliminated. Additionally, the NFA paved the way for not only an influx of gun control in all forms, but also the usurpation of congressional approval for new firearm regulation by agencies like the ATF.
The National Firearms Act was first implemented during an era of rampant organized crime in the United States, contextualized by the rise of black markets following the prohibition of alcohol, as well as the prominence of Mafia groups. One major provision included in the NFA is the required registration of specific types of firearms and their accessories, such as machine guns, short-barrelled rifles and shotguns, and silencers or suppressors. Americans who attempt to acquire such firearms are mandated to endure an extensive and intrusive application process, on top of a $200 tax.
Many of the most common forms of gun control Americans experience today, even for firearms that do not fall under the categories vilified by the NFA, originate because of the almost 100-year-old legislation. Background checks and the necessity to obtain government permission slips to exercise constitutional rights are a couple of the precedents set by the National Firearms Act. The law has been contemporarily interpreted to grant unelected bureaucrats power over the liberties of Americans, in terms of who can or cannot make use of them, to what extent, and with what products. Rep. Burlison said:
“The federal government has manipulated the National Firearms Act for nearly a century to strip Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens. Unelected bureaucrats at the ATF have weaponized the NFA as a tool to criminalize millions of responsible gun owners. The recent pistol brace rule is the latest example of their audacious disregard for the Constitution. The time has come to dismantle this unconstitutional regime and restore our fundamental freedoms. The Repeal the NFA Act will end the ATF’s reign of regulatory tyranny, strike a blow against bureaucratic overreach, and ensure that Americans are no longer subjected to this unjust tax-and-registration scheme.”
Texas Gun Rights couldn’t agree with this sentiment more. Eric Burlison’s record in Missouri speaks for itself, and he has also introduced a bill to abolish the ATF, one of TXGR’s top priorities for the defense of Americans’ God-given liberties.
Burlison’s bill, aptly titled the Repeal the NFA Act, is only a mere 8 lines long, but if passed would undo nearly a century of repeated and ever-expanding infringements upon the 2nd Amendment. It is cosponsored by Representatives Randy Weber (TX-14), Harriet Hageman (WY), Mike Collins (GA-10), Andy Ogles (TN-05), and Andy Biggs (AZ-05). Furthermore, the bill is supported and endorsed by dozens of pro-gun rights organizations across the United States.
The time has come for radical and rampant change that empowers American gun owners, restores the sanctity of the Constitution, and firmly respects those crystal-clear 4 words: “SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED.” With President Trump back in the White House and an overwhelming Republican majority in Congress, there can be NO EXCUSES for a bill like this to fail. The American people demand the restoration of their God-given rights, and politicians must be held accountable to their voters.
Texas Gun Rights is the Lone Star State’s premier NO COMPROMISE gun rights organization. We work daily to defend and secure your God-given freedoms from any and all forms of government infringement. Donate below or join us today to support the cause!
