Romney Joins Colleagues in Introducing Resolution to Block Biden ATF Rule

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Mitt Romney today joined 43 Senate Republican colleagues, led by Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Thom Tillis (R-NC), in introducing a joint resolution of disapproval under the Congressional Review Act to strike down the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) rule on the definition of “Engaged in the Business” as a Dealer in Firearms, which ignores the law and congressional intent to try to require anyone who sells a firearm to register as a federal firearm licensee.

“This rule is yet another example of the Biden Administration exceeding its authority and twisting the laws passed by Congress on a bipartisan basis to pursue its preferred policy agenda,” said Senator Romney. “Negotiators of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act carefully considered the issue, and ultimately rejected expanding background checks on this scale. Continuing to take advantage of good-faith, bipartisan efforts will lead to a lack of trust—jeopardizing future efforts of bipartisanship to solve pressing issues.”

“This rule is proof that the Biden administration is a dishonest broker, and Congress must hold it accountable for its actions in favor of its gun-grabbing liberal base over the Constitutional rights of law-abiding Americans,” said Senator Cornyn. “We will fight this lawless rule tooth and nail to ensure the God-given right to keep and bear arms is preserved and this flagrant distortion of congressional intent of our landmark mental health and school safety law is struck down.”

“It is outrageous that the Biden Administration decided to take a good faith effort to curb the mental health crisis across our country and turn it into an unconstitutional attempt to restrict firearms from law-abiding American citizens,” said Senator Tillis. “This overreach is exactly why Republicans don’t trust this Administration, and it will setback any attempt on future bipartisan legislation as long as President Biden is in office. I encourage my colleagues to support this CRA we introduced and immediately overturn this ridiculous regulation.”

Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Senators Roger Marshall (R-KS), Ted Budd (R-NC), John Kennedy (R-LA), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Steve Daines (R-MT), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Rick Scott (R-FL), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), John Boozman (R-AR), Jim Risch (R-ID), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), John Hoeven (R-ND), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Dan Sullivan (R-A), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Mike Lee (R-UT), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Josh Hawley (R-MO), Joni Ernst (R-IA), James Lankford (R-OK), John Thune (R-SD), Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), Tim Scott (R-SC), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Mike Braun (R-IN), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), J.D. Vance (R-OH), John Barrasso (R-WY), Katie Britt (R-AL), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Eric Schmitt (R-MO), and Ron Johnson (R-WI) joined the resolution.

Background:

The resolution builds on a comment filed by Sens. Cornyn and Tillis to the ATF last year arguing that this rule goes expressly against congressional intent of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, the largest investment in community-based mental health care in American history.