Representative Rob Bishop, RUT, along with 49 other cosponsors, introduced the Lawful Purpose and Self Defense Act. HR 2710 aims to restrict the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) from banning ammunition used in AR15 rifles.
Additionally, this Bill would modernize the 1968 Gun Control Act, and further prohibit the ATF’s ability to restrict other firearms and ammunition, such as shotguns and shotgun shells commonly used for self-defense.
Bishop, when introducing the Bill, stated, “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 overreaching hand of the federal government and restore some of the freedoms our grandparents enjoyed.”
In a press release from the National Rifle Association (NRA), Executive Director, Chris Cox, applauded Bishop’s efforts and pledged the support of the NRA. “On behalf of the NRA’s fivemillion members, I want to thank Representative Bishop for his leadership in protecting our Second Amendment rights,” Cox wrote. “Rob Bishop understands this issue is about freedom and protecting us from government overreach and intrusion.”
The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), trade association for the firearms and ammunition industry, also recognized the importance of this legislation. In an article posted by Ammoland.com, the NSSF noted, “The 2008 Supreme Court’s decision in District of Columbia v. Heller noted that the core purpose of the Second Amendment is self-defense, and the language of HR 2710 will more accurately reflect this core meaning of the right to bear arms.”
H.R. 2710 would also prohibit President Obama, and other presidents, from being able to bypass Congress when making policy that affects gun ownership and the 2nd Amendment
