Washington, D.C. – In a midnight move that has Second Amendment supporters fuming, the Chuck Schumer-backed Senate Parliamentarian struck down key gun rights language in the “Big Beautiful Bill” (BBB), caving to Democrat pressure and falsely claiming that long-sought reforms like the Hearing Protection Act (HPA) and the SHORT Act violate the Byrd Rule.
The provisions — pushed by groups like Texas Gun Rights (TXGR) and the National Association for Gun Rights (NAGR)–would have removed suppressors and short-barreled rifles and shotguns from the unconstitutional National Firearms Act (NFA) of 1934.
These reforms were among the most meaningful gun rights advances proposed in nearly a century.
But now, thanks to the recommendation of a liberal Parliamentarian appointed under Democrat control, they’ve been axed from the bill—despite the fact that the underlying law is, by definition and history, a tax statute.
The Byrd Rule Smokescreen
In fact, the law’s entire structure—$200 tax stamps, registration forms, Treasury enforcement—was built under Congress’s taxing power.
That makes the HPA and SHORT Act perfect candidates for reconciliation.
Repealing taxes and defunding registration systems falls squarely within the Byrd Rule’s scope. Yet, the unelected Parliamentarian ignored this century-old truth to serve anti-gun politics.
A Gut Punch, Not the End
“President JD Vance and Senate Majority Leader John Thune have the power to overrule this decision. They must stand firm and restore these pro-gun provisions to the BBB. If not now, when?” McNutt said.
The House version of the BBB still contains the delisting language, following intense grassroots lobbying. Senate Republicans are reportedly exploring a rewrite to “zero out” the NFA taxes, a fallback strategy that could pass Byrd Rule scrutiny. But gun groups say that’s not good enough.
“Tax relief is great, but Americans deserve full freedom,” said Dudley Brown, President of NAGR. “No registration. No ATF lists. No infringement. The Parliamentarian can be overruled—and must be.”
TAKE ACTION
Tell Vice President JD Vance and Majority Leader John Thune: “OVERRIDE the Parliamentarian and KEEP the pro-gun reforms in the BBB. The NFA is a tax law. Repealing taxes IS budget policy.”
