GOP Budget Proposal Is Packed with Gun Policies: Blocks Pistol Brace Rule, Destroys Firearm Database

The Republican Study Committee’s (RSC) budget proposal, which the committee is rolling out Wednesday, contains a number of Second Amendment provisions, including the House’s newly passed pistol brace rule repeal that had become a source of controversy this month.

A first glimpse at the gun-related section was provided to Breitbart News in advance of its release and reveals the budget, led by RSC chairman Rep. Kevin Hern (R-OK) and budget task force chairman Rep. Ben Cline (R-VA), supports the pistol brace bill, known as the SHORT Act, and at least two other major gun-related policies.

The SHORT Act, introduced by Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-GA), passed the House this week after what House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) said was months of work to get members on board. Clyde said the bill, which would block the Biden administration’s restrictions on owners of stabilizing braces, is a win in particular for disabled veterans who require them to be able to use certain guns.

The budget also includes Rep. Michael Cloud’s (R-TX) No REGISTRY Rights Act, which would force the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to destroy the nearly one billion firearm transaction records it has accumulated.

Republicans have argued the database amounts to an unconstitutional federal registry, while the ATF claims the transactions are not easily searchable and therefore not in violation of any federal rights.

Rep. Richard Hudson’s (R-NC) Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act affirming that individuals with concealed carry permits can continue to carry across state lines is also included in the budget, along with legislation from a couple other members related to gun silencers.

“The RSC Budget makes clear that Americans’ constitutional right to keep and bear arms must be protected, with policies that strongly defend that right,” Cline said in a statement.

The RSC is known for its membership size, comprising more than 150 members and representing a wide cross section of the GOP, from the most hardline members to those that tend to vote more moderately.

The committee’s sheer size indicates the budget proposal may draw vast support from House Republicans, but the Democrat-led Senate and White House will without question oppose it in its current form.

Outside of the fact that Democrats in power have ramped up their advocacy for tighter gun restrictions, the budget’s topline numbers overall deviate greatly from the proposal President Joe Biden introduced in March. The RSC’s proposal calls for balancing the budget in seven years and tax cuts that amount to more than $5 trillion over the next ten years.

In their budget introduction, Hern and Cline called the proposal “more than just a financial statement” but rather a “statement of priorities.”

“It has never been more evident just how devastating the impact of excessive spending and unsustainable debt is to the American people. … For countless families and businesses across the nation, the American dream has become out of reach,” they stated. “While cutting spending is difficult, most Americans would support those actions rather than continue with Biden’s inflation crisis and higher interest rates.”