On Wednesday, the House Committee on Natural Resources was slated to begin deliberating on the Sportsmen's Heritage and Recreation Enhancement (SHARE) Act. This is a bill that is designed to make it easier to hunt, fish, and fully enjoy the outdoors, while preventing future administrations from enacting backdoor ammunition bans by targeting lead or gunpowder. At the last minute, the Hearing Protection Act was added to this bill as an amendment.
Instead of gathering dust, Congress was going to finally green-light the aboltion of one of the country's oldest gun control laws. The Hearing Protection Act would remove costly regulations and make it easier for law abiding citizens to buy suppressors.
Contrary to public opinion, suppressors don't truly silence gun shots. You can still hear a suppressed gun shot. In fact, a typical suppressed gun shot would still be measured at around 130 decibels, which is the volume you would hear from a 200-piece marching bang playing at full volume. Even the most cutting-edge suppressors can only reduce a centerfire gunshot to around 120 decibels, which is the same volume you'd expect from front row seats at a rock concert.
While suppressors don't work in real life the way they do in James Bond movies, they will save a shooter's hearing if used properly. That is why even the most anti-gun European countries place no restrictions on suppressors.
The amendment added to the SHARE Act would allow Americans to purchase a suppressor using the same instant background check they undergo to buy a firearm, as opposed to paying hundreds and waiting a whole year for the ATF to get around to it.
Congress was supposed to begin the fast-track process on Wednesday morning. Then, a crazed Bernie Sanders supporter decided to shoot at Republican Members of Congress during their baseball practice. Just like that, the bill was pulled from the schedule. The official reasoning was that all bills were pulled. However, now that Congress has resumed its business, the SHARE Act has not been re-added to the schedule!
This is the best chance we've had in generations to overturn institutionalized gun control laws. Gun control laws don't just typically get repealed. They get expanded on. We have an opportunity to make real change here.
The Hearing Protection Act was just gathering dust in Congress. But when it was attached as an amendment to the SHARE Act, it became "fast-tracked." Once it cleared the committee, it would be onto a floor vote. And because the issue involves revenue - specifically NFA taxes collected by the ATF, it can technically pass the Senate without needing a single Democrat vote.
But the pathway to passage is now unclear. Republicans pulled the bill from the agenda because they didn't want to be seen as loosening gun control laws on the same day their colleagues were being shot at. But the fact that the bill's hearing has not been rescheduled is a bad sign.
We cannot allow them to use this tragedy as an excuse to go back on their Second Amendment promises! They need to remember who they serve!
If we don't force them to re-add the bill to the calendar now, they never will. If they're allowed to get away with quietly surrendering on one gun rights issue, then they will keep surrendering.
Sincerely,
Joe Otto
Conservative Daily
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