Boozman, Cotton Oppose Biden DOJ Expanding Firearm Definitions and Creating National Gun Registry

Press Release

U.S. Senators John Boozman (R-AR) and Tom Cotton (R-AR) joined 20 of their colleagues to introduce a Congressional Review Act Joint Resolution of Disapproval (CRA) to prohibit President Biden's Department of Justice from implementing a new rule to expand firearm definitions.

The Biden administration is seeking to institute a final rule redefining a "firearm" under federal law to not only mean a complete product, but also its individual parts often included in a weapons parts kit. If implemented, this new rule would require gun kits and gun parts to be regulated as if they were fully functional firearms--meaning they wouldn't be able to be sold without a serial number or without the buyer having to undergo a background check. The new rule would also require those with Federal Firearms Licenses to retain records permanently, in effect creating a national firearms registry. The current rule, which the Biden administration seeks to change, allows for the disposal of records after 20 years.

"While crime spikes across our nation and especially within our major cities, President Biden's administration continues to push regulations requiring law-abiding citizens to jump through more hoops to exercise their Second Amendment rights instead of targeting violent criminals and those failing to hold them accountable," the senators said. "We're proud to defend responsible gun owners against this overreach and ensure the federal government does not create a backdoor national gun registry."

The resolution, led by Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), was also cosponsored by James Lankford (R-OK), Jim Inhofe (R-OK), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), Josh Hawley (R-MO), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Mike Braun (R-IN), Mike Lee (R-UT), Steve Daines (R-MT), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), John Thune (R-SD), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), John Barrasso (R-WY), Mike Crapo (R-ID), James Risch (R-ID), John Hoeven (R-ND), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Mike Rounds (R-SD) and Rand Paul (R-KY).

According to the Government Accountability Office, "The CRA allows Congress to review "major' rules issued by federal agencies before the rules take effect. Congress may also disapprove new rules, resulting in the rules having no force or effect."