WASHINGTON, DC — House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) today with U.S. Senator Steve Daines (R-Mont.), U.S. Representative Tom Marino (R-Pa.); U.S. Representative Steve Stivers (R-Ohio); U.S. Representative Henry Cuellar (D-Texas); and U.S. Representative Gene Green (D-Texas) introduced the Export Control Reform Act of 2016, which transfers regulatory responsibility for non-military-grade firearms from the U.S. Department of State to the U.S. Department of Commerce.
“The State Department’s July guidance takes a hostile stance toward gun owners and the Second Amendment,” Whip Steve Scalise said. “The federal government shouldn’t be treating local gunsmiths like they are international arms dealers. It’s as ludicrous as saying your neighborhood car mechanic is an automobile manufacturer — it just doesn’t add up. Our common-sense, bipartisan bill simply transfers regulatory responsibility for non-military-grade firearms from the Department of State to the Commerce Department–where it belongs–so that it can be regulated like any other commercial business. This is yet another important step in protecting the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding Americans.”
“The Obama administration is continually making attempts at restricting the rights of law-abiding Americans to own guns,” Senator Steve Daines stated. “This unduly targets gunsmiths, most of whom make little to no income and simply do it for the love of the trade, or are small business owners who will be negatively impacted by this burdensome cost. This bill protects both our Second Amendment rights and our small businesses from government overreach.”
Background:
The Export Control Reform Act of 2016 moves export licensing control, oversight and enforcement for commercial and sporting (non-military) firearms and related items from the Department of State to the Department of Commerce. Commerce already licenses the export of shotguns and shot shells. The Export Control Reform Act simply completes the Administration’s export control reform (ECR) initiative’s review of the three categories of articles currently controlled by the State Department for export licensing (U.S. Munitions List Categories I – III) that the administration has yet to address as part of its overall ECR initiative.