Utah Valley Times

U.S. Senator Mitt Romney, along with 43 Senate Republican colleagues led by Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Thom Tillis (R-NC), introduced a joint resolution of disapproval under the Congressional Review Act. The aim is to strike down the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) rule on the definition of “Engaged in the Business” as a Dealer in Firearms. This rule is seen as ignoring the law and congressional intent to require anyone who sells a firearm to register as a federal firearm licensee.

Senator Romney criticized this rule as an example of the Biden Administration exceeding its authority and manipulating laws passed by Congress on a bipartisan basis to advance its policy agenda. He stated, “Negotiators of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act carefully considered the issue, and ultimately rejected expanding background checks on this scale. Continuing to take advantage of good-faith, bipartisan efforts will lead to a lack of trust—jeopardizing future efforts of bipartisanship to solve pressing issues.”

Senator Cornyn expressed his strong disapproval, stating, “This rule is proof that the Biden administration is a dishonest broker, and Congress must hold it accountable for its actions in favor of its gun-grabbing liberal base over the Constitutional rights of law-abiding Americans. We will fight this lawless rule tooth and nail to ensure the God-given right to keep and bear arms is preserved and this flagrant distortion of congressional intent of our landmark mental health and school safety law is struck down.”

Senator Tillis also voiced his concern over what he sees as an unconstitutional attempt by the Biden Administration to restrict firearms from law-abiding American citizens. He said, “This overreach is exactly why Republicans don’t trust this Administration, and it will setback any attempt on future bipartisan legislation as long as President Biden is in office. I encourage my colleagues to support this CRA we introduced and immediately overturn this ridiculous regulation.”

The resolution was joined by Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and a host of other Senators. The resolution builds on a comment filed by Senators Cornyn and Tillis to the ATF last year, arguing that this rule goes expressly against congressional intent of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which is the largest investment in community-based mental health care in American history.