NSSF Lauds U.S. Reps. Culberson and Goodlatte, Sen. Grassley for Leadership in ATF Ammunition Ban Reversal

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March 13, 2015

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Mike Bazinet
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NSSF Lauds U.S. Reps. Culberson and Goodlatte, Sen. Grassley for Leadership in ATF Ammunition Ban Reversal

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), the trade association for the firearms and ammunition industry, today expressed its profound thanks to U.S. Rep. John Culberson (R-Texas), U.S. Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) and U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) for the pivotal leadership roles each played in working to convince the senior management of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to forestall the effort to introduce a new regulatory framework that would have banned the manufacturing and sale of 5.56 mm M855 “green tip” ammunition. This popular ammunition is widely used by law-abiding Americans for target shooting and hunting.

Congressman Culberson, Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice and Science that oversees ATF funding, summoned senior bureau officials to Capitol Hill to express his serious concerns the proposed ban would have affected Americans’ Second Amendment rights.

Congressman Goodlatte, Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, initiated and circulated a letter to ATF Director B. Todd Jones that was signed by more than half of House members, some 239 in all, taking issue with the reasoning, manner and fast-track timing of the bureau’s proposed action.

Senator Grassley, Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, wrote and gained the agreement of 53 Senators to a letter calling into question the bureau’s authority to end the exemption for M855 ammunition under the sporting purposes test that has been in effect since 1986.

“As the trade association for the firearms and ammunition industry, NSSF thanks all the members of the House of Representatives and all the Senators who joined in the initiatives that turned back what was a clear example of executive branch overreach,” said Larry, Keane, NSSF Senior Vice President and General Counsel. “We take special note of the pivotal leadership of Congressman Culberson, Congressman Goodlatte and Senator Grassley. NSSF looks forward to continuing to work with these leaders to address the issues that led to the now-withdrawn proposal and to urge ATF to grant 32 long-pending petitions to exempt other alternative rifle ammunition.”

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About NSSF
The National Shooting Sports Foundation is the trade association for the firearms industry. Its mission is to promote, protect and preserve hunting and the shooting sports. Formed in 1961, NSSF has a membership of more than 11,000 manufacturers, distributors, firearms retailers, shooting ranges, sportsmen’s organizations and publishers. For more information, visit nssf.org.