Reply from Braun today:
March 25, 2022
Dear Stocks,
Thank you for contacting my office about firearms provisions included in the 2022 appropriations bill. I appreciate hearing from you on this important topic.
H.R. 2471, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2022, often referred to as the omnibus spending package, was signed into law by President Joe Biden on March 15, 2022. This bill provides funding for fiscal year 2022, and was passed five months after FY2023 began. The omnibus spending bill consists of $1.5 trillion in spending, marks the shameful return of earmarks (special pork spending projects for members), and includes two new firearms provisions.
First, Senator Chris Coons’ S. 675, the NICS Denial Notification Act, was included under Title XI, sections 1101 and 1102, of the omnibus package. The NICS Denial Notification Act requires the Department of Justice to notify state and local law enforcement when a prospective firearm owner’s background check is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). Secondly, Section 1103 of the 2022 omnibus allows the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) to deputize local law enforcement to aid in criminal investigations.
The inclusion of the firearms provisions you mentioned to the omnibus bill are troubling. Given the amount of undue denials made by the NICS system, I am concerned that the codification of the NICS Denial Notification Act will lead to an increase in unwarranted investigations into law abiding citizens that are simply exercising their Second Amendment rights. Further, the authority provided by Section 1103 of the omnibus may lead to situations where local officers in states with robust Second Amendment protections are utilized in frivolous investigations by the ATF. When the Senate voted on the omnibus bill, I proposed an amendment to strip every earmark from the bill and voted against the bill’s passage. Beyond the fiscal ramifications of the omnibus package becoming law, I find the passage of the firearms provisions that you mentioned concerning. I sincerely appreciate you bringing these issues to my attention.
In conclusion, I am an avid hunter, a National Rifle Association of America member, and I stand in support of the Second Amendment. In the Senate, I will oppose any efforts to restrict the rights of law-abiding gun owners and will protect their ability to defend themselves and their families in life-threatening situations. You may be interested to know that, on May 27, 2021, I introduced S. 1920, the ATF Accountability Act , to make the ATF more responsible to the American public. This bill would establish a process for licensed gun dealers, importers, or manufacturers to appeal rulings and determinations made by the ATF.
Thank you for contacting me. It is an honor to serve as your U.S. Senator from Indiana. Please keep in touch with me on issues of concern to you. You can also follow me on Twitter or Facebook for real-time updates on my activities in the U.S. Senate. If I ever may be of service, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely,
Mike Braun
U.S. Senator
P.S. This message was sent by email to save taxpayer dollars.
March 25, 2022
Dear Stocks,
Thank you for contacting my office about firearms provisions included in the 2022 appropriations bill. I appreciate hearing from you on this important topic.
H.R. 2471, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2022, often referred to as the omnibus spending package, was signed into law by President Joe Biden on March 15, 2022. This bill provides funding for fiscal year 2022, and was passed five months after FY2023 began. The omnibus spending bill consists of $1.5 trillion in spending, marks the shameful return of earmarks (special pork spending projects for members), and includes two new firearms provisions.
First, Senator Chris Coons’ S. 675, the NICS Denial Notification Act, was included under Title XI, sections 1101 and 1102, of the omnibus package. The NICS Denial Notification Act requires the Department of Justice to notify state and local law enforcement when a prospective firearm owner’s background check is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). Secondly, Section 1103 of the 2022 omnibus allows the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) to deputize local law enforcement to aid in criminal investigations.
The inclusion of the firearms provisions you mentioned to the omnibus bill are troubling. Given the amount of undue denials made by the NICS system, I am concerned that the codification of the NICS Denial Notification Act will lead to an increase in unwarranted investigations into law abiding citizens that are simply exercising their Second Amendment rights. Further, the authority provided by Section 1103 of the omnibus may lead to situations where local officers in states with robust Second Amendment protections are utilized in frivolous investigations by the ATF. When the Senate voted on the omnibus bill, I proposed an amendment to strip every earmark from the bill and voted against the bill’s passage. Beyond the fiscal ramifications of the omnibus package becoming law, I find the passage of the firearms provisions that you mentioned concerning. I sincerely appreciate you bringing these issues to my attention.
In conclusion, I am an avid hunter, a National Rifle Association of America member, and I stand in support of the Second Amendment. In the Senate, I will oppose any efforts to restrict the rights of law-abiding gun owners and will protect their ability to defend themselves and their families in life-threatening situations. You may be interested to know that, on May 27, 2021, I introduced S. 1920, the ATF Accountability Act , to make the ATF more responsible to the American public. This bill would establish a process for licensed gun dealers, importers, or manufacturers to appeal rulings and determinations made by the ATF.
Thank you for contacting me. It is an honor to serve as your U.S. Senator from Indiana. Please keep in touch with me on issues of concern to you. You can also follow me on Twitter or Facebook for real-time updates on my activities in the U.S. Senate. If I ever may be of service, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely,
Mike Braun
U.S. Senator
P.S. This message was sent by email to save taxpayer dollars.
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