Republican Introduces Bill Revoking ATF’s Power to Regulate Ammo

On Friday, Rep. Tom Rooney (R-FL) introduced legislation revoking the ATF’s claim of power to regulate ammunition via “armor piecing” language in the Gun Control Act of 1968 (GCA).

The ATF is specifically claiming the ability to regulate ammunition via the “armor piercing” language contained in the Law Enforcement Officers Protection Act, an amendment added to the GCA in 1986. Their current focus is on banning the wildly popular M855 round for AR-15 rifles.

Rooney’s bill would roll back the ATF’s powers to pre-1986 levels.

According to The Hill, Rooney’s bill “would prohibit the ATF or any other federal agency from issuing or enforcing any new restriction or prohibition on the manufacture, importation, or sale of ammunition in the United States.”

Rooney said:

The Obama administration’s [proposed ban of M855 ammo] would unilaterally strip law-abiding hunters and sportsmen of their Second Amendment rights. Congress has made its intentions clear that this ammunition is for sporting purposes and should not be restricted. We cannot and will not stand by while the Obama administration tramples on the constitution, the rule of law, and the Second Amendment rights of hunters.

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