WASHINGTON – This week Congressman Tim Huelskamp (KS-01) announced his co-sponsorship of three key bills that protect the Second Amendment rights of Kansans.
First, Huelskamp is co-sponsoring the Firearm Manufacturers and Dealers Protection Act, which prohibits President Obama’s Administration from using financial regulation like Operation Choke Point or similar programs to target the firearm industry. Operation Choke Point is a disruptive tactic used by the Administration to cripple lawful firearms and ammunition manufacturers by placing immense regulatory pressure on the banks and financial institutions to avoid doing business with these legitimate entities. This bill would defund any activities associated with Operation Choke Point and forbid the U.S. Attorney General from restarting a similar program so that these businesses are not snuffed out by anti-2nd Amendment over-regulation and financial restrictions.
Second, Huelskamp is co-sponsoring the Ammunition and Firearms Protection Act, H.R. 1365 to ensure that popular rifle ammunition is still available for citizens to exercise their Second Amendment rights. This legislation would prevent the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) from classifying M855 ammunition as armor-piercing and from instituting any ban on the sale and manufacture of ammunition that is intended, marketed, and sold for rifle use.
Earlier this year the ATF proposed a ban on the ammunition which is used in AR-15 rifles – one of America’s most popular rifles for sportsmen. Huelskamp signed on to a letter authored by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (VA-06) raising concerns about the Administration’s backdoor ban on bullets. After receiving over 80,000 public comments on the ban, ATF rescinded their proposal, but left open the possibility of a future ban on the ammunition. This NRA-endorsed bill prevents ATF from following through on that ban, and protects all ammunition intended and sold for rifles from being reclassified as armor-piercing.
Lastly, the Congressman is co-sponsoring H.R. 131, a bill that would strengthen federal protections for law-abiding Americans traveling with firearms or ammunition. While federal law guarantees the right of Americans to transport firearms between two locations, some states ignore this right and use overly-restrictive state licensing laws to harass and detain travelers who have crossed state lines. H.R. 131 reinforces and protects the rights of American citizens from these overbearing restrictions.
Other legislation the Congressman has supported to defend the Second Amendment in the 114th Session includes the following:
- The Recreational Lands Self-Defense Actwhich grants gun owners the ability to exercise their Second Amendment rights when they are legally camping, hunting, and fishing on Army Corps property (Co-sponsored)
- The Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2015which aims to respect state regulations of place and manner of carry while preserving the eligibility of law abiding Americans to enjoy their Second Amendment rights in all 50 states (Co-sponsored)
- Appropriations Lettersto defund the UN Arms Trade Treaty and to prevent the use of the treaty for domestic prosecutions (Signed)