Staff Reports
Tennessee’s Republican Representative Mark Green is taking a stand against a new Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) rule that could make it harder for firearm exports to happen. He introduced a bill called the Stop the Bureaucratic Ineptitude Shuttering Respectable and Upstanding Lawful Exporters Act (Stop the BIS RULE Act) with support from 11 other Republican representatives. They want to stop the rule from being put into action because they believe it will hurt businesses that rely on exporting firearms.
EXCLUSIVE: Rep. Mark Green Introduces Bill To Block Biden Admin Rule Restricting Firearm Sales https://t.co/oQ66zf227n . #Trump2024 pic.twitter.com/qRuWmji0mZ
— NahBabyNah (@NahBabyNah) May 1, 2024
The BIS rule, released in April, includes changes like making export licenses only valid for one year instead of four, adding a “crime control” requirement for licensing, and making it harder to export firearms to 36 high-risk countries. These changes have caused concern among firearm manufacturers and trade groups, who fear the impact on their businesses. Representative Green argues that the rule will not only harm American businesses but also benefit countries like China and Russia.
According to the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), the new rule could cost manufacturers and exporters over $250 million. They see it as a direct attack on Americans’ Second Amendment rights. The NSSF criticizes the rule for creating obstacles for lawful firearm exporters and potentially punishing them for crimes committed in other countries.
Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo supports the new rule, stating that it aims to prevent criminals, terrorists, and cartels from accessing U.S.-made firearms. She believes that stricter export controls are necessary to protect national security interests and foreign policy goals. However, Representative Green and his co-sponsors believe that the rule goes too far and unfairly targets American businesses.
In response to the rule, Green and other Republican lawmakers are pushing for their bill to block its implementation. They argue that the Biden administration is using vague language in the rule to hinder firearm exports and create unnecessary obstacles for law-abiding American businesses. The debate over the BIS rule highlights the ongoing tensions between gun rights advocates and those who support tighter restrictions on firearms exports.
