Luther Strange introduces bill to close Obama-era 2nd Amendment loophole

Taking action to protect Second Amendment rights from unwarranted executive intrusion, Alabama Senator Luther Strange on Wednesday introduced the Protecting the Second Amendment Act.

The bill would amend the Gun Control Act to nullify generalized, routine, or ongoing reporting requirement on lawful gun owners based on geographic location or sales records of multiple long guns, and prohibit future executive action against them.

“The Obama administration demonstrated time and again a disturbing willingness to bypass the separation of powers and disregard Congress as a Constitutional watchdog,” explained Strange. “Had the restrictions faced by lawful gun dealers in border states been applied to Alabama, many sportsmen, myself included, would have a difficult time practicing our hobby, and exercising our Constitutional rights. With this bill, I am proud to stand up against existing and future threats to the rights of lawful gun owners, and restore respect for the rule of law.”

Under an Obama-era executive order claiming to target the flow of firearms to Mexican drug cartels, gun owners and dealers in California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas were subjected to additional reporting requirements on firearms above .22 caliber.

The Protecting the Second Amendment Act has already received support from original Senate cosponsors, Texas-Republicans John Cornyn and Ted Cruz, and is being praised by the National Rifle Association as an important step in rolling back the full extent of Obama administration’s actions against guns.

“On behalf of the NRA’s five million members, we would like to thank Senator Strange for introducing this important bill that would roll back the Obama administration’s defacto gun registration scheme,” said NRA-ILA Executive Director Chris Cox. “Senator Strange continues to be a champion for our Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms in the U.S. Senate.”

“For eight long years the Second Amendment was constantly under threat by an Administration hostile to the fundamental right of Americans to defend themselves,” added Cornyn. “This bill will help roll back unilateral regulations from the last Administration targeting law-abiding gun owners, and I’m proud to join Senator Strange in this fight.”