Senator Rick Scott (R-Fla.) joined Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas) and 28 of their Senate Republican colleagues in a letter to Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Deputy Director Marvin Richardson, urging the agency to align with President Donald J. Trump’s Second Amendment priorities.
The letter, sent on February 20, 2025, calls on the ATF to rescind unlawful firearms regulations implemented under the Biden administration and to uphold the rights of law-abiding gun owners.
The senators’ letter follows President Trump’s February 7, 2025, Executive Order, Protecting Second Amendment Rights, which reaffirms the constitutional rights of Americans to keep and bear arms.
READ: Trump To Appoint Kash Patel To Lead ATF, Signaling Shift In Agency Focus
The order directs Attorney General Pam Bondi to review and develop a plan to address former President Biden’s firearms regulations, which the senators argue infringe on Americans’ Second Amendment protections.
The senators called on the ATF to immediately rescind several Biden-era regulations and policies, including:
- The “Engaged in the Business” Rule: This rule, which aimed to expand background checks, was temporarily enjoined by a federal court for violating the Gun Control Act. The senators argue it represents an unconstitutional overreach.
- The Pistol Brace Rule: This regulation reclassified pistols equipped with stabilizing braces as “short-barreled rifles,” subjecting them to stringent regulations. The senators highlighted that the rule disproportionately affects disabled combat veterans and has been deemed arbitrary and capricious by multiple courts.
- The “Ghost Gun” Rule: This rule targets individuals who privately build firearms, a practice with deep historical roots. The senators urged the ATF to rescind the rule, which is currently under review by the Supreme Court.
- The “Zero Tolerance” Policy: This policy led to the revocation of federal firearm licenses (FFLs) over minor bookkeeping violations, deviating from decades of precedent. The senators called for a program to restore licenses unfairly revoked under this policy.
Additionally, the senators urged the ATF to destroy outdated firearm transaction records (ATF Form 4473) that are over 20 years old, citing privacy concerns for law-abiding gun owners and the lack of law enforcement value in retaining such records.
The letter also emphasized the need for the ATF to improve the National Firearms Act (NFA) application process, ensuring it is as efficient as the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS).
READ: Pro-Second Amendment Former Agent Dan O’Kelly In The Running For ATF Director
“A right delayed is a right denied,” the senators wrote, urging the agency to address ongoing delays in application processing times.
The letter was signed by a broad coalition of Senate Republicans, including Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.), Senators Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Jim Justice (R-W.Va.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), James Lankford (R-Okla.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Jim Banks (R-Ind.), and Jerry Moran (R-Kan.).
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