Trump Working to Undo Obama Gun Regulations

The Trump administration has been making a host of changes to gun control regulations in recent months. In isolation each might not seem like that big of a deal, but taken together the overall change to the landscape for gun rights proponents is significant already and that trend is likely to continue.

In a post that went out during the spring congressional recess, when many people’s attention moved away from D.C., McClatchy provided a comprehensive look at all the different steps taken by the administration to follow through on their campaign promises to gun owners.

With the 100-day milestone looming for a new administration hoping to show progress on their legislative agenda, it’s surprising they haven’t touted their collective accomplishments for gun owners, though gun lobbyists are paying attention. Chris Cox, a chief lobbyist for the NRA commented:

Ultimately you judge a politician on whether he or she keeps their promises that they made during the campaign...NRA members and supporters across this country are very pleased with what we’ve seen out of this administration so far. But there is still a lot of work to do.

The list of steps includes narrowing the definition of "fugitive," a change that cuts the number of people who’ll be included in a database — the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) — designed to keep firearms from people who are barred from owning them.

The ATF considers a fugitive to be anyone subject to an arrest warrant who crossed state lines to avoid arrest. The FBI had a broader definition, describing a fugitive as anyone who’d left the city or county where the warrant had been issued. In a Feb. 15 memorandum, the FBI agreed to adopt the narrower definition, saying a person must have fled the state to avoid imminent prosecution or court testimony to be considered a fugitive.

The president signed a bill behind closed doors on February 27 that killed an Obama-era regulation requiring the government to add to the NICS no-buy list people whom the Social Security Administration deemed eligible for mental disability payments. Objections to the rule had stemmed from a perceived lack of due process for the person being stripped up their right to gun ownership, while its proponents had called it a crucial tool for preventing the mentally ill from accessing firearms.

Trump signed another bill on April 3 that lifted restrictions on hunting on federal lands in Alaska. Supporters maintained rolling back the regulations freed up the state of Alaska to better manage their own land and wildlife, while opponents argued the regulations protected "natural diversity" in federal wildlife refuges.

The administration has been eager to place officials sympathetic to gun rights in positions of influence:

Trump quickly nominated a trio of leaders that gun rights groups supported: Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch, Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke. By far and away, the NRA’s most important goal was to help secure an acceptable Supreme Court nominee.

Zinke moved quickly in accordance with a pro-gun rights agenda, canceling on his first day:

a ban on the use of lead ammunition on federal lands... and directed all agencies managing federal lands to identify areas where hunting could be expanded.

Additionally, in March the Army Corps of Engineers indicated that they may no longer defend a standing ban since the 1970’s against carrying "loaded firearms and ammunition" except in limited designated hunting areas:

the Army Corps of Engineers signaled that it was considering dropping its gun ban in a case now before the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals involving a Georgia couple who objected to the ban. "The Army Corps of Engineers is reconsidering the firearm policy challenged in this case, as well as plaintiff’s requests for permission to carry firearms on Army Corps property," the Army Corps of Engineers argued in a motion asking that the couple’s case be moved to mediation.

Gun rights proponents are pushing two bills — one allowing "Americans to carry concealed firearms from state to state" in accordance with state law if they’ve been licensed known as the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2017. It was introduced by Rep. Richard Hudson (R-NC) and has been lauded by the NRA.

The other would make it cheaper and easier to buy silencers, which are popular among recreational shooting enthusiasts because they help mitigate the risk of hearing damage. The Hearing Protection Act was introduced by Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-SC) on Feb 6 and already has 137 cosponsors.

Given the groundwork already laid by the new administration, gun rights advocates may rightfully be looking towards more legislative successes on these items and others not yet flying on anyone else’s radar.

What do you think about the steps the administration has taken to support gun rights? Use the "Take Action" button to let your reps hear about it!

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— Asha Sanaker

(Photo Credit: Peretz Partensky via Flickr / Creative Commons)