Submitted by United States Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana
WASHINGTON (Jun. 6, 2024) – United States Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), and 32 colleagues filed a Congressional Review Act (CRA) Resolution of Disapproval to block the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) interim final rule that targets U.S. businesses that support Americans’ exercise of their Second Amendment rights.
“The Bureau of Industry and Security—which no one has ever heard of—does not have the power to undermine a Constitutional right,” said Dr. Cassidy. “This is another example of the Biden administration going after Americans’ rights to appease their base.”
“This rule by the Biden Administration damages the firearm industry, which harms Tennessee manufacturers,” said Senator Hagerty. “This politically motivated effort unlawfully circumvents the legislative process and destroys American exports, jobs, and small businesses that support the firearm and ammunition industry. I’m pleased to file this CRA to overturn the Biden Administration’s version of Operation Choke Point.”
The interim final rule severely restricts the ability of American firearm, ammunition, and related-component manufacturers to obtain a license to export their products for sale. In effect, this is an attempt to permanently extend the current “pause” on such export licenses and will rescind approximately 2,000 active export licenses for certain firearms. In addition to being an unlawful, unjustified exercise of regulatory authority, this will have a substantial, negative impact on these American manufacturers, their suppliers, and the jobs they support.
Cassidy and Hagerty were joined by U.S. Senators John Barrasso (R-WY), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), John Boozman (R-AR), Mike Braun (R-IN), Katie Britt (R-AL), Ted Budd (R-NC), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Steve Daines (R-MT), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Josh Hawley (R-MO), John Hoeven (R-ND), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Mike Lee (R-UT), James Lankford (R-OK), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Jim Risch (R-ID), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Eric Schmitt (R-MO), Rick Scott (R-FL), Tim Scott (R-SC), John Thune (R-SD), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), JD Vance (R-OH), and Roger Wicker (R-MS) in cosponsoring the CRA.
U.S. Representative Mark Green (R-TN-07) has introduced the companion CRA in the U.S. House of Representatives.
