Today, the U.S. Senate was forced to remove the pro-gun language that had been previously included in the Reconciliation Bill currently making its way through the chamber. We explained in a previous article that this language would, among other things, remove suppressors, short-barreled rifles (SBR), short-barreled shotguns (SBS), and “any other weapons” (AOW) from the National Firearms Act (NFA).
The language was deemed to violate the “Byrd Rule” by the Harry Reid appointed Senate Parliamentarian. The “Byrd Rule” is a process that is used when considering reconciliation measures by the U.S. Senate. This process allows measures that would typically require a 60-vote threshold in the U.S. Senate to only require a simple majority. The “Byrd Rule” determination is made by the Senate Parliamentarian based upon a number of factors including whether the provision would increase or decrease revenues, and whether the change in revenue would be “merely incidental” to the other alterations that the provision would make to public law.
Once a provision is deemed to be violative of the “Byrd Rule,” that same language cannot be reintroduced to the bill. And while we strongly disagree with the ruling of the Senate Parliamentarian, we are still seeking ways to include provisions that would benefit NRA members and law-abiding gun owners. To further that goal, we are currently working with U.S. Senators to explore all available options, including introducing an amendment which would reduce the tax on suppressors, SBR’s, SBS’s, and AOW’s to $0. The Majority Leader also has the option to remove the parliamentarian, which was last done in 2001.
While this amendment is far from what is needed, it is still a step in the right direction to eliminate the unconstitutional tax imposed on these NFA items. Your NRA-ILA will continue to update you on the Reconciliation Bill as it moves its way through Congress.
More Like This From Around The NRA
