In a significant victory for gun owners nationwide, the House of Representatives has approved H.J.Res.44, a legislative measure co-sponsored by Congresswoman Lauren Boebert. The resolution effectively annuls the controversial pistol brace ban rule, issued by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), on grounds of it being unconstitutional. The House vote was closely contested, concluding at 219-210. The ATF had formally published their final rule 2021R-08F, titled “Factoring Criteria for Firearms with Attached Stabilizing Braces,” on January 31, 2023. Critics view this rule as a direct infringement on Second Amendment rights, characterizing it as a brazen assault on the constitutional right to bear arms.
Boebert responded to bill’s passing, saying:
ATF wants to make the owners of nearly 40 million firearms with stabilizing braces felons overnight. It defies commonsense that the same unelected bureaucrats who gave away thousands of firearms to members of the Mexican cartels are trying to tell lawful American firearm owners that they can’t carry a pistol with a stabilizing brace without it being classified as a short-barrel rifle and receiving absurd penalties. Veterans that rely on pistol braces to responsibly shoot at the range shouldn’t receive jail time, be fined $250,000, and be issued a felony charge for simply having a stabilizing brace on their lawfully purchased firearm. The U.S. Senate needs to immediately follow the House’s lead and block this unconstitutional gun grab that Congress never authorized.
The continued enforcement of this ATF rule has substantial implications. It is projected that around 40 million firearms would require registration, destruction, surrender, or reconstruction within a period of 120 days to maintain legality. Failure to comply would subject the lawful owner to severe penalties, including a federal prison sentence of up to ten years, felon status, and a hefty fine of $250,000. This is particularly concerning for individuals who have installed a stabilizing brace on their legally acquired firearms, as they would be directly affected by this ruling.
