On January 12, Senator Chris Murphy (D-Connecticut) submitted an amendment to the minibus appropriations bill H.R. 6938, which would increase the tax on NFA-regulated items by 2354% to $4,709.
Although amendment SA 4159 was tabled and not adopted as of this writing, Mr. Murphy is one of the most outspoken supporters of gun control in a party that already largely supports gun control, and this move is simply a foreshadowing of what Democrats would do if they were in power.
Republicans hold unprecedented influence, with a 53-47 Senate majority, a 218-213 House edge, a 6-3 Supreme Court that leans right and the Presidency. Yet the Pam Bondi Department of Justice continues to defend gun control, as we’ve documented extensively, and most recently Republicans have walked back Second Amendment victories, to the chagrin and disbelief of approximately 100,000,000 gun owners.
Yet, as noted by Congressman Andrew Clyde (R-Georgia), Republicans have given up hard-fought ground related to pro-2A legislative victories earned just a few months ago, including a plan to massively defund the ATF. In a January 8 social media post he wrote:
As a member of the CJS Appropriations Subcommittee, I fought to include pro-2A cuts and policy riders in the FY26 CJS appropriations bill…. Yet these critical Second Amendment protections were SURRENDERED during negotiations. I offered several amendments to continue fighting for these pro-2A provisions. NONE were made in order – meaning they won’t receive a vote on the House floor.
The frustrated Second Amendment community learned just days later that even gun industry trade associations were no allies. The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), which bills itself as the Firearms Industry Trade Association, announced on January 12 that it “strongly encourages all industry members to contact their U.S. Representatives and U.S. Senators to advocate for additional funding for ATF.”
As is often the case, gun owners find that even in the best of circumstances, elected officials are willing to trade away civil liberties when not held accountable.
