The House Ways and Means Committee, controlled by Republicans, backed away from legislation that would have been a tremendous victory for gun rights.
The bill at the center of the matter is the Hearing Protection Act and the SHORT Act. The former would have removed suppressors from the National Firearms Act of 1934, which means those purchasing the devices would no longer have been subject to background checks and registration.
However, the Ways and Means Committee, headed by Rep. Jason Smith (R-MO), is reportedly holding up the measures, seeking to water them down or do away with them altogether.
From Gun Owners of America:
Gun Owners of America (GOA) today slammed the House Ways and Means Committee for choosing to protect unconstitutional gun registrations rather than ending an archaic infringement on the Second Amendment by advancing a so-called “compromise” provision that falls short of fully repealing the unconstitutional tax on suppressors and other firearms regulated under the National Firearms Act (NFA).
The newly released language, part of the broader tax package, reduces the transfer tax on suppressors to $0, but maintains a $200 tax on most other NFA firearms and codifies a reduced $5 tax on others. GOA has been working for months to ensure full deregulation of suppressors and the protection of pistol braces through reconciliation, providing detailed legal analysis to prove such reforms would pass Byrd Rule scrutiny.
BAD NEWS: Hearing Protection Act HEAVILY Modified & SHORT Act REMOVED From Ways & Means Committeehttps://t.co/TICg49XN74 pic.twitter.com/TLaTc8erjX
— Guns&Gadgets (@Guns_Gadgets) May 12, 2025
Erich Pratt, Senior Vice President of Gun Owners of America, said, “This isn’t a compromise, it’s a betrayal,” pointing out that the committee “chose to leave unconstitutional registration and taxes in place even though they had a clear path to repeal them.”
The House Ways and Means Committee has BETRAYED gun owners.
— Gun Owners of America (@GunOwners) May 12, 2025
We must demand they add the Hearing Protection Act & SHORT Act into their bill NOW.
Help us hold them accountable: 202-225-3625 https://t.co/xJ22MBEfv7 pic.twitter.com/gHYdpBk8sw
Kerry Slone, firearms instructor and founder of We the Female, argued that “Removing a tax while keeping every tracking mechanism in place is not a win for gun owners.”
Apparently, in the House Ways and Means Committee knowing something is unconstitutional, yet still being willing to trade away Americans’ freedom in order to say something is bipartisan is commonplace,” she added. “Are these elected representatives truly this ignorant regarding inalienable rights, or are they simply placating donors and lobbyists and hoping no one is going to hold them accountable?
This episode is one of several showing that just because the GOP controls Congress doesn’t mean that they will work to protect our rights — especially when it comes to the Second Amendment. There are several lawmakers who claim to care about the right to keep and bear arms while actively working to support unconstitutional infringements on gun ownership.
For this reason, it is essential that those who value liberty keep these lawmakers’ feet deep inside the fire. They need to hear from us. Otherwise, they will vote as if they know their jobs are safe.
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