Congressman introduces bill to block ATF from keeping records of gun purchases

By ramontomeydw // 2023-03-08

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A congressman from Texas introduced a bill to prevent the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) from keeping records of gun purchases. Introduced by Rep. Michael Cloud (R-TX), the No Retaining Every Gun In a System That Restricts Your (No REGISTRY) Rights Act mandates the ATF to destroy firearm purchase records in its database. Gun stores closing down are also mandated to destroy their purchase records, preventing the law enforcement agency from obtaining them. "My bill would dismantle ATF's recordkeeping, restore privacy for American gun owners and reverse the groundwork laid for the creation of a federal firearms agency," Cloud said in a press release. "The Second Amendment is clear: The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. The federal government does not have the right to subject its law-abiding, citizen firearm owners to excessive scrutiny." Aidan Johnston, director of federal affairs at Gun Owners of America (GOA), said the ATF "has no business maintaining nearly a billion guns and gun owner records in a digital, searchable database." "ATF's recordkeeping authority has been weaponized, and all statutory protections against the creation of a gun registry have been maliciously circumvented." Johnston stressed that GOA "proudly supports [the] … No REGISTRY Rights Act to rein in this rogue agency and completely eliminate ATF's unconstitutional gun registry." Aside from GOA, the National Rifle Association and the Firearms Regulatory Accountability Coalition threw their support behind the Texas congressman's proposal. The bill, a reintroduction of an earlier proposal, also indicated 62 of Cloud's colleagues as co-sponsors. While the bill could easily pass through the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, getting through the Senate will be more difficult. Ultimately, President Joe Biden could veto the bill once it reaches his desk instead of signing it into law.

No REGISTRY Rights Act seeks to stop ATF surveillance

Cloud's bill came amid the ATF tightening its oversight of gun stores across the U.S. – a clear affront to the Second Amendment. Back in February, GOA obtained the ATF's federal firearms licensee (FFL) inspection guidance from January 2022. This guidance, which was later shared with Fox News, made it easier for the law enforcement agency to revoke gun retailers' federal licenses. The guidance stated that the ATF "has zero tolerance for willful violations that greatly affect public safety and ATF’s ability to trace firearms recovered in violent crime." It also implied that "revocation … is the assumed action" whenever a gun owner commits such violations. When an FFL loses its license, it will likely close shop and be mandated to send gun purchase records to the ATF – which will keep the records indefinitely. Last year, GOA accused the ATF of maintaining an "illegal gun registry" in a report. According to documents obtained by the gun rights group through a Freedom of Information Act request," the federal agency "is maintaining a digital, searchable, centralized registry of guns and gun owners in violation of various federal prohibitions." "In November 2021, an internal ATF memo leaked by GOA revealed that [the agency] had processed and digitized over 50 million 'out of business' records of gun dealers in FY 2021. This report was picked up by major pundits and news outlets, including Fox News' Tucker Carlson and the Blaze." According to the GOA's report, the ATF had already converted almost one billion records from gun stores "into a single, centralized and searchable national gun registry that is routinely searched by multiple data fields – except, reportedly by gun owner name." (Related: Leaked documents prove Biden's ATF is involved in 'aggressive' push to shutter gun stores by any means necessary.) Meanwhile, the ATF declined to comment on the legislation introduced by Cloud. SecondAmendment.news has more stories about attacks on the right to keep and bear arms. Watch Health Ranger Mike Adams talk with GOA legislative policy assistant Ben Sanderson about halting ATF overreach on the "Health Ranger Report" below. This video is from the Health Ranger Report on Brighteon.com.

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No REGISTRY Rights Act seeks to stop ATF surveillance

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