Republicans target ‘bullet ban’ in DOJ spending bill

The Obama administration’s controversial bullet ban is coming under fire again from congressional Republicans. 

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) would be prohibited from using government funds to ban certain armor-piercing ammunition under a provision in the agency’s spending bill.

{mosads}Rep. Richard Hudson (R-N.C.), who introduced the amendment to block future bullet bans, warned the ATF to keep its “hands off our guns.” 

“This amendment is a strong first step to reduce the ATF’s threat to our Second Amendment and protect our right to keep and bear arms,” Hudson said in a speech on the House floor.

“I will continue to fight against this bullet ban and any overreaching regulations that would prevent us from responsibly exercising our Second Amendment rights,” he said.

Congress is currently weighing a bill to fund the Justice Department, which oversees the ATF. But the funding is contingent on certain provisions, also known as appropriations riders, that the agency must follow.

Hudson’s amendment passed by a voice vote and will be included in the final funding bill for the DOJ. It would prohibit the ATF from banning certain armor-piercing ammunition, including M855 or SS109 bullets that are popular with hunters. It’s one of a number of so-called gun-riders in the funding bill.

It’s an opportunity for Republicans to withhold the ATF’s funding unless it backs down from the controversial gun regulation.

The ATF proposed regulating certain armor-piercing ammunition used in AR-15 hunting rifles earlier this year, but withdrew the proposal after much backlash from congressional Republicans and the National Rifle Association.

But the ATF left the door open to revisiting the rule at a future date. So Hudson is hoping to prevent that from happening.