The federal government is currently considering four major gun-related actions dealing with the gun-background check system, bump-fire stocks, silencers, and gun-carry reciprocity, which have significant support.
Three pieces of legislation are currently pending in Congress, two in the Senate, and one in the House, that deal with fixing holes in the gun-background check system, gun-carry reciprocity, silencer law reform, and interstate travel with firearms. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives is also currently considering whether or not to reverse its 2010 classification of bump-fire stocks as firearms accessories, which are not subject to federal firearms regulations. There are many other pieces of legislation that have been introduced but have little to no chance of coming up for a vote in either house of Congress, let alone passing.
The Fix NICS Act, however, passed the House in December 2017 and enjoys wide bipartisan support. The bill is a direct response to the Texas church shooting in November 2017, where the shooter was able to buy guns despite being prohibited from doing so because the Air Force failed to share his criminal record with the FBI’s background check system. It would institute a number of financial incentives for providing all of the disqualifying records to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) that each state or federal agency is already supposed to submit under current law and withhold bonus pay from political appointees at federal agencies that don’t fully comply.
The bill has garnered support from both sides of the gun debate with the National Rifle Association and many gun control groups publicly supporting the effort. Though it has yet to be scheduled for a vote in the Senate, Majority Whip John Cornyn (R., Texas) has publicly called for a vote “as soon as possible.”
AAN Staff
The staff at American Action News are consummate professionals, who when not producing original, hard-hitting content, are scouring the internet to bring you the unfiltered news that matters to you! Our mission is to maximize your experience on our website. If we can ever be of assistance, please do not hesitate to let us know!
