Senator Marshall Reintroduces SHORT Act to Roll Back Biden-Era Anti-Gun Rule

Washington – U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas) today re-introduced the Stop Harassing Owners of Rifles Today (SHORT) Act, legislation that removes the unconstitutional taxation, registration, and regulation of short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns, and any other weapons under the National Firearms Act (NFA).

Using the NFA, the Biden Administration argued that people who own pistols with stabilizing braces are in possession of illegal short-barreled rifles. The ATF used that argument to facilitate a ban, forcing gun owners to violate their rule or participate in an unconstitutional registry titled “Amnesty Registration of Pistol Brace Weapons,” to keep their firearms. Eliminating unconstitutional and unnecessary restrictions, taxation, and registration placed on NFA firearms will ensure that the ATF does not enact any future version of this ban. Senator Marshall is once again partnering with U.S. Representative Andrew Clyde (R-Georgia-09) who has introduced an identical bill in the U.S. House of Representatives.

“‘Shall not be infringed’ is crystal clear – and the Biden-era abuses of the Constitutionally protected rights of gun owners across the country need to be undone,” said Senator Marshall. “The SHORT Act takes a step toward rolling back nonsensical regulations that the National Firearms Act has placed upon gun owners. I challenge my colleagues in both chambers to pass this legislation and join me in fully restoring and protecting our God-given Second Amendment rights.”

“The Biden-Harris Administration dangerously weaponized the draconian National Firearms Act to further infringe on Americans’ Second Amendment liberties,” said Congressman Clyde. “Yet the American people overwhelmingly rejected the Left’s unconstitutional tactics and backdoor gun control in November. It’s now time for Congress to use this mandate to protect Americans’ unalienable, constitutional right to keep and bear arms. Deregulating SBRs, SBSs, and AOWs is the most effective way to ensure American gun owners are not subjected to unlawful and unnecessary restrictions, taxation, and registration of firearms or pistol braces. I’m proud to partner with Senator Marshall in the fight to defeat this Biden-era rule and safeguard Americans’ Second Amendment freedoms.”

The legislation is supported by Gun Owners of America (GOA) and the National Association of Gun Rights (NAGR).

“The Stop Harassing Owners of Rifles Today (SHORT) Act will repeal elements of the archaic National Firearms Act, which the Biden ATF abused to justify their unconstitutional pistol brace ban– a policy change that affects millions of law-abiding gun owners and does nothing to curb rising crime,” said Aidan Johnston, Director of Federal Affairs for GOA. “GOA is proud to support the SHORT Act, which will repeal archaic short barrel restrictions from the National Firearms Act of 1934 and prevent them from ever being weaponized against the American people ever again.”

“The SHORT Act is a long overdue step toward restoring the rights of Americans, freeing gun owners from the burdensome and outdated regulations of the National Firearms Act,” said Hunter King, Director of Political Affairs for NAGR. “By removing short-barreled rifles, shotguns, and similar firearms from egregious federal regulations, gun owners would be able to exercise their Second Amendment freedoms without oppressive government interference. This isn’t a measly reform; it’s a declaration of Second Amendment supremacy and will take a sledgehammer to government overreach. The National Association for Gun Rights is pleased to support this bill to reclaim our right to keep and bear arms.”

This legislation is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyoming), Rick Scott (R-Florida), Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama), Kevin Cramer (R-North Dakota), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Jim Justice (R-West Virginia), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Mississippi), Katie Britt (R-Alabama), Tim Sheehy (R-Montana), and Pete Ricketts (R-Nebraska).

“The Biden administration spent four long years undermining our Second Amendment rights and attacking law-abiding gun owners,” said Senator Lummis. “The SHORT Act provides a permanent solution to the unconstitutional and unworkable Pistol Brace Rule put forward by unelected ATF bureaucrats. I’m proud to work with my colleagues on this legislation to protect the people of Wyoming’s right to keep and bear arms.”

“I’m a proud supporter of the 2^nd Amendment and will always work to fight against the far-left’s attempts to infringe on the rights of law-abiding Americans,” said Senator Scott. “Our bill, the SHORT Act, supports the 2^nd amendment and the actions of President Trump and ATF Acting Director Kash Patel to protect the rights of law-abiding gun owners.”

“For too long, unelected bureaucrats have misplaced their priorities by overregulating the use of firearms that Americans are legally entitled to own,” said Senator Tuberville. “Every American has a right to bear arms to protect themselves and their families. I’m proud to join legislation that cuts red tape and protects law-abiding gun-owners.”

“Liberal anti-gun extremists have spent years waging an all-out assault on the Second Amendment, trying everything under the sun to unjustly restrict our right to bear arms,” said Senator Cramer. “I joined Senator Marshall in introducing the SHORT Act to defend our Second Amendment liberties by removing the oppressive taxation, registration, and regulation of short-barreled rifles and shotguns. It’s time to put a stop to federal overreach and defend the fundamental freedoms our Constitution guarantees.”

“Democrats’ attempts to undermine the Second Amendment are unconstitutional and must be stopped,” said Senator Risch. “The SHORT Act protects law-abiding Idaho gun owners from unlawful registry, taxation, and regulation of commonly owned firearms.”

“Those seeking to strip away Second Amendment rights have sought every creative way possible to advance their agenda through legislation, regulation and litigation,” said Senator Crapo. “Burdening law-abiding Americans with additional firearm restrictions is not the answer to safeguarding the public.”

“It is absolutely critical that we protect our 2nd Amendment, because West Virginia has one of the highest gun ownership percentages in the country,” said Senator Justice. “We need to put safeguards in place to protect gun owners from unclear regulations. It’s time we address the issue in a clear fashion once and for all – folks who rely on a pistol stabilizing brace shouldn’t be excluded from their 2nd amendment right because of bureaucratic jargon.”

“We continue to grapple with the misguided policies that the Biden administration left behind,” said Senator Hyde-Smith. “By reclassifying everyday firearms as dangerous short-barreled rifles, Biden’s ATF has infringed upon Americans’ constitutional rights and imposed unnecessary taxes and regulations on law-abiding firearm owners.  The SHORT Act is a crucial step in halting this government overreach and restoring our Second Amendment freedoms.”

“There is no reason for unelected D.C. bureaucrats to have the power to unilaterally undermine Americans’ Second Amendment rights,” said Senator Sheehy. “Montana is home to a proud firearms heritage, and I’m proud to join my colleagues on this commonsense legislation to roll back Biden-era federal overreach and ensure law-abiding gun owners can exercise their constitutional right to protect themselves and their families.”

“The Biden administration violated the Constitution and penalized law-abiding gun owners for owning pistols with stabilizing braces,” said Senator Ricketts. “No more. The SHORT Act will protect the constitutional rights of millions of law-abiding gun owners.”

Click HERE to read the full bill text.

Background

• Senator Marshall previously introduced the SHORT Act in the 117^th Congress and the 118^th Congress.
• In addition to removing the unconstitutional taxation, registration, and regulation of firearms, this legislation would also require the ATF to destroy all records relating to the registration, transfer, or manufacture of these NFA firearms, preventing the ATF from further harassing owners or confiscating these firearms.