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BATFE, Firearm Importation & Federal Firearm Law Reform

Among its duties, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE) monitors firearm manufacturers, importers and dealers for compliance with record-keeping requirements; conducts traces on the commercial paths of individual firearms at the request of law enforcement agencies; interprets firearm importation law; and administers transfers of firearms regulated by the National Firearm Act of 1934.

The BATFE was used by the Clinton administration to reduce the number of firearm dealers, and by the administrations of presidents G. H. W. Bush and Clinton to restrict “assault weapons” by misinterpreting firearm importation law. The agency’s tracing data, sometimes useful in identifying persons involved in illegally trafficking firearms, have been mischaracterized by gun control supporters in the context of their campaigns against “Saturday Night Specials” and “assault weapons,” and in favor of making state gun laws more restrictive.

BATFE has been widely criticized for its role in the “Ruby Ridge” and “Waco” tragedies, and Operation Fast and Furious, in which the agency knowingly allowed firearms to be bought by straw purchasers and other traffickers, and thereafter smuggled from the United States to Mexico, where they made their way to violent drug cartels.

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Face the Nation Airs ATF Propaganda

News  

Monday, March 11, 2024

Face the Nation Airs ATF Propaganda

Those worried that Biden’s Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives was so busy harassing well-meaning gun dealers and owners ...

NRA-ILA Files Friend of the Court Brief Urging the Supreme Court to Invalidate ATF’s Bump Stock Rule

Thursday, February 1, 2024

NRA-ILA Files Friend of the Court Brief Urging the Supreme Court to Invalidate ATF’s Bump Stock Rule

NRA-ILA filed an amicus curiae (or friend of the court) brief in the United States Supreme Court urging ...

NRA torches Biden admin for plan to change rules for gun buyers, sellers

Fox News  

Tuesday, December 12, 2023

NRA torches Biden admin for plan to change rules for gun buyers, sellers

"The Biden ATF's proposed rule, ATF2022R-17, is just another attempt to demolish our Second Amendment rights, with the ...

More ATF-linked Gunrunning to Mexico?

News  

Monday, October 30, 2023

More ATF-linked Gunrunning to Mexico?

Astute gun owners will recall the Obama administration’s Operation Fast and Furious scandal. Under that operation, Bureau of ...

Your Help Urgently Needed! Comment Period Open on Biden’s Illegal Background Check Rulemaking

News  

Monday, September 11, 2023

Your Help Urgently Needed! Comment Period Open on Biden’s Illegal Background Check Rulemaking

Your help is urgently needed, as the official comment period on ATF’s rulemaking, “Definition of ‘Engaged in the ...

Biden Admin Oversteps Authority to Attack Law-Abiding Gun Owners, Again

News  

Wednesday, September 6, 2023

Biden Admin Oversteps Authority to Attack Law-Abiding Gun Owners, Again

Last Thursday, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”) announced a new proposed rule on the “Definition ...

NRA says Biden admin's proposal for more firearms background checks is an attack on law-abiding gun owners

Fox News  

Sunday, September 3, 2023

NRA says Biden admin's proposal for more firearms background checks is an attack on law-abiding gun owners

The National Rifle Association responded this week to the Biden administration’s proposed rule requiring more background checks to ...

Biden ATF Declares War on Second Amendment, Sidesteps Congress With 'Universal' Background Check Rule

News  

Second Amendment  

Friday, September 1, 2023

Biden ATF Declares War on Second Amendment, Sidesteps Congress With 'Universal' Background Check Rule

NRA-ILA Executive Director Randy Kozuch released the following statement regarding the Biden ATF's action to sidestep Congress with ...

National Review Wrong on ATF Frame or Receiver Rule

News  

Monday, August 21, 2023

National Review Wrong on ATF Frame or Receiver Rule

Political observers expect the Washington Post and the New York Times to carry water for Joe Biden’s Department ...

NRA Files Suit Against ATF and DOJ Over “Pistol Brace Rule,” Defends Members Against Draconian Measure

News  

Second Amendment  

Monday, July 3, 2023

NRA Files Suit Against ATF and DOJ Over “Pistol Brace Rule,” Defends Members Against Draconian Measure

The National Rifle Association of America (“NRA”) today announced it filed a lawsuit against the Bureau of Alcohol, ...

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NRA ILA

Established in 1975, the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is the "lobbying" arm of the National Rifle Association of America. ILA is responsible for preserving the right of all law-abiding individuals in the legislative, political, and legal arenas, to purchase, possess and use firearms for legitimate purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.