On November 25, President Obama signed the NRA-backed National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) containing provisions to protect lead ammo, expand military-to-civilian gun sales, and give local commanders the ability to allow base personnel to be armed.
The latter provision came in response to the July 16 attack on defenseless military personnel in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
The National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action’s (NRA-ILA) Chris Cox observed:
The brave men and women in our Armed Forces should not be left defenseless against terrorists on American soil. Local commanders now have the authority to allow service men and women to be armed while on base. Members of the military should have the same ability to defend themselves as every other law-abiding citizen.
The provision expanding military-to-civilian gun sales means the Army’s “excess M1911A1 pistols” can now be sold to civilians via the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP). That program was long known as being a way for civilians to get the classic M1 Garand military rifle, and will now be a way to get the equally classic and historical .45 auto.
Expanding military-to-civilian sales also saves tax dollars in that it currently costs “approximately $200,000 a year” for the Army to store the handguns “in a warehouse.”
The third NRA-backed provision in the NDAA prohibits the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from banning lead ammo under the auspices of the Toxic Substances Control Act. “This provision [was] necessary because extreme anti-hunting groups have filed multiple petitions with the EPA to ban the use of lead ammunition.”
Protecting traditional lead ammo is way to keep ammunition prices at “reasonable” levels for the foreseeable future.
Follow AWR Hawkins on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.