Three Republican members of Congress sent a letter Wednesday to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) requesting the agency “expeditiously” re-evaluate bump stocks to make sure they’re in compliance with federal law.
“If the re-evaluation shows otherwise, we request that you move swiftly to issue appropriate rulings concerning the manufacture, sale, transfer and importation of these mechanisms, as well as any other mechanism that is expressly designed to simulate the automatic fire of a machine-gun,” the letter, spearheaded by Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), said.
The legislators said they would study options to close any “loopholes that might exist in current statutes governing the regulation of machine-guns.”
Reps. Mike Gallagher (R-WI) and Martha McSally (R-AZ) signed onto the Kinzinger letter.
The bump stock device, which authorities believe was used in the mass shooting in Las Vegas on Sunday, allows a semi-automatic riffle to fire like an automatic weapon. The House members said re-evaluating the device is a “commonsense” way to respond to the attack that left 58 dead and nearly 500 injured.
“We recognize that it is impossible to prevent tragedy — we cannot stop evil in its many forms, and we cannot gauge the level of hate in someone’s heart,” the letter said. “But we can come together to find commonsense ways in which to blunt the damage these evildoers are able to inflict upon other citizens while ensuring protection of individuals’ civil liberties and rights under the Constitution.”
Illinois Republican Rep. Rodney Davis also indicated he was in support of the request to the ATF, saying Congress is asking for more information “to be educated on the issue and the current law,” he said in a statement sent to The News-Gazette, a local publication.
Read the full letter below:
Total cop-out by the GOPosaurs making it look like they’re “doing something”, when if fact they have the power to pass a law banning them. Please, do NOT give them any credit. This is cowardice!
If they weren’t already out of compliance with the law, wouldn’t everyone know that already? Wouldn’t members of Congress know that already? Wouldn’t the ATF know that already?
And when the ATF responds that, yep, they’re perfectly legal, then what will this exercise in nothingness have accomplished? Oh right…
Exactly. No where in the request was there any indication that they planned on banning them if they are currently legal.
Honestly…the sanctimonious BS surrounding these ‘requests’ from Congress make me want to PUKE. What about FAST & FURIOUS? All the crap you spewed during the ‘Obama Years’ (what fresh hell is THIS as a euphemism???) that neutered anything they might WANT to do and gave control to agencies like the ATF and now you’re CONCERNED??? Oh please.
Might be a little late as I’ve seen articles saying most stores are sold out. Next thing might be reevaluating the guns they are used on.
edit: Some folks claim it doesn’t matter much, but I’m sure it speeds up must folks and definitely reduces fatigue and allows one person to shoot longer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddPTyoV-Irc