Rep. Bishop is Chief Sponsor of Bill to Defend 2nd Amendment
WASHINGTON – Rep. Rob Bishop (UT-01) has introduced H.R. 2710, the Lawful Purpose and Self-Defense Act of 2015. This bill will reign in the Obama Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The ATF has attempted to ban ammunition used in the popular AR-15 rifle. The bill will eliminate the ATF’s illegitimate authority to prohibit this .223 caliber ammunition. This legislation will also eliminate ambiguity in current code that could allow the ATF and the Administration to restrict certain types of shotguns and shotgun shells that are used for self-defense. Bishop offered the following statement:
“The founding fathers recognized that the right to bear arms is fundamentally tied to self-defense. This is as true today as it was over two centuries ago when the Bill of Rights was ratified. The ATF has exploited vagaries present in federal gun law to chip away at basic rights. This legislation will slap the over-reaching hand of the federal government and restore some of the freedoms our grandparents enjoyed.”
On March 4, 2015, 238 members of Congress (including Rep. Bishop) sent a letter to ATF Director B. Todd Jones to express serious concerns with the “Framework” proposal; because those concerns were not met with a satisfactory reply and permanent solution, Bishop is now sponsoring the Lawful Purpose and Self-Defense Act of 2015 to ensure the Administration and the ATF are unable to interfere with Second Amendment rights.
In addition to the 50 co-sponsors of the bill, various organizations have also expressed support for the Lawful Purpose and Self-Defense Act of 2015.
“On behalf of the NRA’s five-million members, I want to thank Representative Bishop for his leadership in protecting our Second Amendment rights. Rob Bishop understands this issue is about freedom and protecting us from government overreach and intrusion.”
– Chris W. Cox, Executive Director for NRA-ILA
