Welcome to the 117th Congress: 2A Rights Under Attack

The 117th Congress has started busily filing bills. None of the text is available yet, but the bill titles are informative. This what I’ve found to date. All of these are in the House. As of this writing nothing directly affecting Second Amendment rights appears to have been filed in the Senate.

H.R.225 – To amend chapter 44 of title 18, United States Code, to more comprehensively address the interstate transportation of firearms or ammunition.

This was filed by Republican Rep. Griffin [VA-9], so I’m hoping it’s a fix for the safe passage provisions of FOPA.

H.R.194 – To require the Inspector General, Department of Justice, to submit a report to the Congress on the number of firearm transaction denials issued by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System that are referred to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives for investigation, the number of prosecutions resulting from such investigations, and the number of firearms recovered by the Bureau in cases in which such a denial was issued after the firearm was transferred.

That sounds innocuous, but one never knows.

H.R.167 – To prohibit the transfer of a firearm at a gun show by a person who is not a federally licensed firearms dealer.

Ah, the “gun show loophole” again.

H.R.135 – To require the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation to report to the Congress semiannually on the number of firearms transfers resulting from the failure to complete a background check within 3 business days, and the procedures followed after it is discovered that a firearm transfer has been made to a transferee who is ineligible to receive a firearm.

Seems duplicative, what with H.R. 194.

H.R.130 – To require the safe storage of firearms and ammunition, and to require the investigation of reports of improper storage of firearms or ammunition.

The investigation requirement looks to particularly nasty, as it seems to chuck probable cause right out the window.

H.R.127 – To provide for the licensing of firearm and ammunition possession and the registration of firearms, and to prohibit the possession of certain ammunition.

Given the looming Dem control of House, Senate, and White House, and their proven lack of care for what people think, I strongly suspect this will pass. I wonder if they asked cops how they feel about risking life and limb to enforce it.

H.R.125 – To amend title 18, United States Code, to provide for a 7-day waiting period before a semiautomatic firearm, a silencer, armor piercing ammunition, or a large capacity ammunition magazine may be transferred.

Hey! Maybe they’ll reduce the waiting period for silencers to seven days. Alas, I’m thinking this additional wait would come after the ~nine-month registration wait.

H.R.121 – To provide for the hiring of 200 additional Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agents and investigators to enforce gun laws.

Joy. Like we need more kitty-stompers.

H.R.95 – To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to remove silencers from the definition of firearms, and for other purposes.

Sadly, that will never pass. That will never make it out of committee.

H.R.60 – To protect the right of law-abiding citizens to transport knives interstate, notwithstanding a patchwork of local and State prohibitions, and to repeal Federal provisions related to switchblade knives which burden citizens.

It’s not guns, but it is 2A. All things considered, I’d give this a 50:50 chance.

H.R.38 – To amend title 18, United States Code, to provide a means by which nonresidents of a State whose residents may carry concealed firearms may also do so in the State.

National reciprocity. Snowball, meet Hell.

H.R.30 – To increase public safety by punishing and deterring firearms trafficking.

I’d sure like to see the text. Is Rush [D-IL-1] actually unaware that trafficking is already illegal?

Here’s one that isn’t specifically 2A-related, but it did catch my eye. It’s from DC Rep. Norton [D-DC], so I expect it’s a duplicate of her 116th Congress bill. I’ve included this here because I think everyone can see that admitting DC as a state would permanently lock in Democrat control of the country, with the growing threat to firearm rights:

H.R.51 – To provide for the admission of the State of Washington, D.C. into the Union.

Ms. Norton seems to be unaware that the District’s status is controlled by the Constitution. Last session, it was pointless because it did not include a Constitutional amendment. This time around, it could happen since we’ve seen that there pretty much isn’t a Constitution anymore.

I’d wish you a Happy New Year, but this feels like December 38, 2020.