Rep. Mark Green of Tennessee introduced the Protect American Gun Exporters Act on Wednesday. The bill stops the current export license “pause” and prevents the Department of Commerce from taking any substantially similar actions in the future unless standard rule-making procedures are followed.
“President Biden’s antipathy for the Second Amendment is becoming more blatant every single day,” Rep. Green said. “There is clearly no action he won’t take when it comes to limiting our right to keep and bear arms. That’s why I introduced this bill. Someone has to stand up to this administration.”
The bill comes after Green wrote a letter signed by 88 members of Congress demanding answers on the unprecedented and reckless restriction on civilian firearm export licenses. Rep. Mary Peltola of Alaska did not sign the letter.
“As long as evil persists, there will always be a need for good people to defend themselves and their loved ones,” the letter said. “The need for the Second Amendment was not limited to the American Revolution nor the American Republic…Not only does BIS’s pause on firearms export licenses leave people even more vulnerable, but it will also push buyers to look elsewhere to meet their customers demands.”
The Department of Commerce announced Oct. 27 that it immediately suspended most export licenses for civilian firearms, components, and ammunition for 90 days to “advance U.S. national security and foreign policy interests.” The action was unprecedented, said Green.
“This pause leaves people vulnerable while directly hurting firearm manufacturing and shipping jobs,” Green said. “That’s where my bill comes in. It stops the export license pause and solidifies concrete steps the Department of Commerce must take if it wants to implement similar policies in the future.”
The bill requires the Department of Commerce to follow the normal rulemaking procedure allowing for notice, comment periods, communication with industry stakeholders, and conducting an industry impact analysis prior to any decision-making. If the Department follows all of these steps and still finalizes the rule, it would be eligible for expedited disapproval through the Congressional Review Act—a critical tool for stopping anti-gun bureaucrats.
The United States was, until the Biden restriction, the world’s largest exporter of arms, accounting for 40% of global arms sales, followed by Russia at 16%.
Read the bill at this link.
