U.S. Rep. Abe Hamadeh, R-Arizona, is urging Democrats and other lawmakers to join him in supporting bills that involve gun suppressors.
One such bill is the Protecting Americans’ Right to Silence Act. Hamadeh said the legislation makes commonsense changes to the definition of “silencer” and ensures that parts like end caps, adaptors and wipes are not misclassified as silencers.
“It is pretty basic but essential,” Hamadeh told The Center Square. “It is unfortunate that in a country where our basic rights should not be infringed, over the years bureaucrats have done just that.”
U.S. Reps. August Pfluger, R-Texas, and Jared Golden, R-Maine, introduced the PARTS Act. The representatives argue that it is necessary to clarify what they call the ATF’s “poorly written suppressor rule.”
“We can’t have people who want to safely exercise their Second Amendment rights to unknowingly violate some arcane bureaucratic rule or end up on the wrong side of the government because of some unreasonable regulation,” Hamadeh said.
Another bill supported by Hamadeh is the Hearing Protection Act, sponsored by U.S. Rep. Ben Cline, R-Virginia. Hamadeh said this too is simple.
“Right now, it is harder to buy a suppressor than it is to buy a gun,” said Hamadeh. “That makes no sense. All this does is reclassify suppressors so that they are regulated like a gun.”
Meanwhile, the Silencers Help Us Save Hearing Act supported by Hamadeh “eliminates excessive regulations around firearm suppressors,” something he said will reduce bureaucratic red tape and ensure every American deals with the same rules about suppressors regardless of where they live.
This bill is from U.S. Reps. Michael Cloud, R-Texas, and Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah.
Hamadeh said he’s heard from Arizona’s hunters, recreational shooters and law enforcement officers, all of them “concerned about their health” as well as the “unclear rules and misguided policies surrounding suppressors” that put them at risk.
“These are bills aimed at the health of those people who are legally exercising their Second Amendments rights, nothing more,” said Hamadeh. “No matter what political party you belong to, the health of Americans should be a top priority.”
