United States House Joint Resolution 44, spearheaded by U.S. Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-Ga.), passed the House on Tuesday by a vote of 219-210 with five abstentions.
U.S. Reps. Robert Aderholt (R-Haleyville), Jerry Carl (R-Mobile), Barry Moore (R-Enterprise), Gary Palmer (R-Hoover), Mike Rogers (R-Saks) and Dale Strong (R-Huntsville) were among the 189 Republican co-sponsors of the resolution, which seeks to overturn a new Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) rule which reclassified pistols as short-barreled rifles if they have a stabilizing brace.
The new rule required over 29 million Americans to register their reclassified weapons by May 31 or face up to 10 years in prison, a $10,000 fine or both. Despite the stiff penalties, an ATF spokesman reported that the agency received only 255,162 registrations, representing less than 1% of all subject gun owners, as of June 1.
Resistance is not only coming from citizens. Several courts have already brought injunctions against enforcing the regulation, deeming it unconstitutional.
While speaking on the House floor before the vote, Moore expressed his pleasure with the temporary injunctions, saying, "I'm glad to see the courts getting involved to temporarily halt this rule, but we need more permanent solutions."
Moore urged his fellow members to vote for HJR 44 as a permanent end to the "blatant attack on our Second Amendment rights" and to "ensure that lawful gun owners are not considered felons."
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"On May 31 at midnight, 29 million Americans became instant felons thanks to Biden's weaponization of the ATF," he outlined.
He added that "many disabled veterans and other Americans rely on these braces to be able to correctly use their firearms."
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