Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., introduced legislation to abolish the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives following its new rule on handguns, per a Wednesday press release.
The Florida Republican's Abolish the ATF Act is in direct response to the agency's decision to ban stabilizing braces – accessories used to convert pistols into short-barreled rifles — for anyone without a specific license.
"The continued existence of the ATF is increasingly unwarranted based on their repeated actions to convert law-abiding citizens into felons," Gaetz stated. "They must be stopped. My bill today would abolish the ATF once and for all."
Gaetz's move comes after Republican Sen. Roger Marshall of Kansas introduced a bill last September seeking to remove taxes and regulations imposed on short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns, and other weapons.
Marshall cited anticipation of the new ATF rule, which was being floated at the time, as reason for teaming up with Republican congressman Andrew Clyde of Georgia to introduce companion legislation in the House.
"The ATF's federal gun registry is just the latest proof that the Biden Administration has no understanding of firearms and only seeks to limit American citizens' ability to rightfully own firearms of their choosing," Marshall told the Daily Caller about his Stop Harassing Owners of Rifles Today Act.
"Gun control activists disguised as bureaucrats are corrupting the ATF, and my legislation will put a stop at their extremely misguided and incorrect interpretations of the National Firearms Act," he added.
The Justice Department revealed last week that its final rule was submitted to the federal register regarding stabilizing braces, solidifying NFA regulations for converted rifles with a barrel less than 16 inches.
"Almost a century ago, Congress determined that short-barreled rifles must be subject to heightened requirements," Attorney General Merrick Garland stated. "Today's rule makes clear that firearm manufacturers, dealers, and individuals cannot evade these important public safety protections simply by adding accessories to pistols that transform them into short-barreled rifles."
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