Republicans criticize Biden administration for rule hurting gun industry.
Senate Republicans are up in arms over what they perceive to be a detrimental move by President Biden’s Secretary of Commerce, Gina Raimondo, aimed at harming the U.S. firearm industry. Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., along with 22 other Senate Republicans, have called on the Biden administration to retract what they describe as a “deeply misguided rule and its associated license revocations.”
The Department of Commerce (DOC) recently introduced an interim final rule (IFR) that would result in the revocation of valid export licenses from American companies that allow the export of firearms to non-government end users in specific regions. The DOC states that this new rule is intended to lessen the risk of legally exported firearms being diverted or misused for activities that undermine U.S. national security and foreign policy interests, such as regional instability, drug trafficking, human rights violations, and political violence.
However, Sen. Scott argued in a letter to Raimondo that this new policy showcases the Biden administration’s use of the administrative state and rule-making process to target legal U.S. industries and promote progressive agendas.
“We are concerned that the Department issued the Rule in an attempt to intentionally harm the firearms industry,” the letter emphasized.
The Republicans criticized the fact that the new rule would revoke existing licensing for 36 countries and subject current license holders to a new licensing system. According to the lawmakers, this step is unprecedented, as the U.S. did not take such drastic measures even in addressing serious national security threats in the past, including actions related to Chinese hypersonic missiles, nuclear weapons proliferation, or China’s control over Hong Kong.
The letter also called for Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) Undersecretary Alan Estevez and Assistant Secretary Thea Kendler to potentially testify before the banking committee.
Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., co-led the correspondence, which was also signed by Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., John Thune, R-S.D., Marco Rubio, R-Fla., Tom Cotton, R-Ark., Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., and Rick Scott, R-Fla., among others.
“This rule punishes firearm manufacturers and exporters by blocking hundreds of millions of dollars of lawful exports and will result in lost sales earnings and cost Americans good-paying manufacturing jobs,” Sen. Hagerty expressed.
Kevin Keane, a former government official, added to the criticism, stating that there is no basis for the Biden administration’s claims that this rule is necessary to enhance national security or reduce overseas crime.
These developments have heightened tensions between Senate Republicans and the Biden administration, as concerns grow over the potential impact on the U.S. firearm industry and its workforce. The ongoing scrutiny and pushback from the Republican side indicate a challenging road ahead for the implementation of these new regulations.
