Republican lawmakers are asking the Trump administration to end a Biden-era rule restricting the sale of American-made firearms overseas.
The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), an agency under the Department of Commerce, issued an interim final rule (IFR) titled “Revision of Firearms License Requirements” in April 2024 to place more restrictions on the sale of firearms to individuals and organizations in foreign nations.
The rule imposes stricter licensing requirements and policies, including a presumption of denial for firearms sales to non-government clients in 36 “high-risk” regions, according to Reuters.
Rep. Mark Green (R-TN), Sens. Mike Lee (R-UT), and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) led 85 other GOP lawmakers in signing a letter to Commerce Secretary Howard W. Lutnick to remove the rule.
“this misguided and destructive IFR is costing the American firearms industry nearly $500 million annually while doing nothing to advance U.S. interests or regional stability,” the letter reads. “Despite numerous attempts to rein in these actions through letters, legislation, hearings, markups, and oversight, the Biden BIS ignored Congress and used the IFR to advance the Biden administration’s anti-firearms agenda.”
The lawmakers further pointed out that President Donald Trump “recently signed an executive order to secure Second Amendment rights” and instructed Attorney General Pam Bondi “to review all orders, regulations, guidance, plans, international agreements, and other actions of executive departments and agencies that violate the Second Amendment or furthered the Biden administration’s anti-firearms agenda.”
The lawmakers leading the charge on this request expressed confidence that the Trump administration would do away with the IFR, according to a press release.
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Rep. Green said, “The Biden-Harris administration’s interim final rule on issuance and renewal of export licenses for certain firearms, related components, and ammunition has now lasted almost a year. With the confirmation of Secretary Lutnick, I trust that this interim final rule (IFR) will come to an end.
BIS’s actions cost American firearm manufacturers over $500 million annually. It’s time to end this attack on the Second Amendment, and I look forward to immediate action from the Department of Commerce.”
Senator Lee said, “For too long, federal agencies have tried to constrict our Second Amendment rights indirectly, in this case by hurting law-abiding gun manufacturers by severely limiting their ability to export firearms. I look forward to the Trump administration rectifying this unjust rule pushed by Joe Biden’s bureaucrats.”
As the lawmakers suggested, this useless rule has done nothing to help American citizens nor has it affected regional stability. But the Biden administration’s implementation of the rule makes sense when you consider that former President Joe Biden was one of the most anti-gunner presidents in recent memory.
The rule inhibited the firearms industry’ ability to earn a profit by selling to customers overseas. This makes it harder for gun companies to maintain competitive pricing while innovating their products. The higher costs are passed down to the consumer, presenting yet another obstacle for those seeking to exercise their right to keep and bear arms.
This is one of several subtle ways that Biden and the anti-gunner lobby have sought to attack the Second Amendment. By targeting gun manufacturers and sellers, they were able to impose restrictions that make it harder to own and carry firearms since they could not get Biden’s sweeping anti-gunner agenda passed in Congress.
Hopefully, Lutnick will do the right thing, especially since Trump promised numerous times to protect the Second Amendment.
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