The Trump Administration Is Gutting Our Gun Laws
The Trump administration Department of Justice and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) — the agency whose job is to enforce our gun laws and oversee the gun industry — recently announced over 30 new rules that put the gun industry’s profits ahead of your safety.
Together, these changes weaken oversight and accountability, making it easier for dangerous situations to slip through the cracks, increasing the risk of gun violence and other tragedies, including mass shootings.
One Rule. Millions of Consequences.
For decades, federal law has required that most gun purchases be made in person. One of the Trump administration’s regulations will change that.
Under a new “Skip the Counter” rule, gun buyers never have to set foot in a gun store. Firearms can be shipped directly to their doors.
According to the Trump administration’s own estimates, this rule alone will create 3.28 million additional online gun purchases per year. That’s 3.28 million fewer opportunities for gun stores to detect suspicious behavior and warning signs. And 3.28 million fewer chances to stop a tragedy.
This rule removes gun store employees as a critical first line of defense in keeping firearms out of the hands of dangerous individuals and gun traffickers.
One thing is clear: This rule is a gift to the gun industry. Instead of prioritizing public safety, this administration is prioritizing gun industry profits.
Your Voice Matters, and We Need Your Help
During previous administrations, federal agencies have made it easy for anyone to submit a comment and have their voice heard. Not anymore.
The Trump administration eliminated the tool that let organizations like ours send you directly to the right place to comment. So we’re asking you to take one extra step before the comment portal closes on August 4 — because we refuse to be silent, and neither should you.
Here’s how you can raise your voice on this issue:
- Visit Regulations.gov. (Follow this link for the “Skip the Counter” rule.)
- Copy and paste the sample comment language below into the “Comment” field.
- Under “Tell us about yourself! I am…” Select “Individual”
- Enter your contact information (first and last name are required).
- Click “Submit Comment.”
That’s it! Your comment will now become part of the public record.
Thank you for taking action and making sure your voice is heard!
Comment Language
Time and again, ATF Director Cekada has said that “FFLs are our first line of defense in the fight against firearms trafficking.” I agree. FFLs (also known as gun dealers) must be part of the solution to our current gun violence crisis.
That means, among other things, being vigilant about recognizing suspicious customer behavior that can indicate criminal intent like straw purchasing, unlicensed dealing, and gun trafficking. It also means observing warning signs that a customer is in crisis or a danger to themselves. In these cases, responsible, public safety-minded FFLs can choose not to sell firearms to these individuals.
To do so, FFLs have to be able to see them in person. But ATF’s proposed rule entitled, “Revising Non-Over-the-Counter Firearms Transaction Requirements” (RIN 1140-AB05), would create more opportunities where customers never need to set foot in a store to purchase a firearm. In other words, this rule would allow more fully remote and online gun sales and, in the process, make it more difficult for FFLs to detect suspicious behaviors and warning signs.
How can FFLs be the first line of defense if this rule sidelines them from interacting with customers in person? For these reasons, I oppose this proposed rule and ask ATF to withdraw it altogether. ATF should be working to make us safer, but this rule would do just the opposite.