Bill passed by House to cancel ATF’s Pistol Brace Rule.

The House of Representatives has passed a bill to nullify a controversial rule from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) pistol brace rule despite court ruling, says Lott.”>regulating pistol stabilizing braces. The measure will now proceed to the Democrat-controlled Senate, where it is expected to fail.

President Joe Biden has said he will veto the bill if it clears the Senate.

House Joint Resolution 44, a bill to nullify the pistol brace rule under the Congressional Review Act (CRA), passed the House in a vote of 219–210, with five representatives not voting.

Of the Republicans, 217 voted for the bill, two voted against it, and three did not vote.

Reps. Thomas Kean (R-N.J.) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) voted no, while Reps. Michael Turner (R-Ohio), Anthony D’Esposito (R-N.Y.), and Brad Finstad (R-Minn.) did not vote.

On the Democrat side, 208 voted no, two voted yes, and two did not vote.

Reps. Jared Golden (D-Maine) and Mary Peltola (D-Alaska) voted yes, while Reps. Sean Casten (D-Ill.) and Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) did not vote.

The CRA allows Congress to disapprove rules by passing a bill in both chambers and having the president sign it into law.

Members of Congress Weigh In

During a hearing the day before the House vote, Rules Committee Chair Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.) told Ranking Member James McGovern (D-Mass.), who opposed the bill, that he could rest easy.

“There’s a Democratic Senate and a Democratic President, so I wouldn’t worry too much about what’s passed into law,” Cole said. “American Democracy’s inherently chaotic from time to time, but we usually get to the right place.”

Republicans argued that the ATF was trampling on the rights of disabled veterans by requiring the pistol braces be registered under the National Firearms Act of 1934 and the Gun Control Act of 1968. They pointed out that the ATF had changed its stance on the rule several times and that Congress never considered or passed any laws concerning the devices.

Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-Texas) said the rule is an unconstitutional usurpation of congressional legislative authority. He repeated the claim that the ATF turned millions of law-abiding citizens into felons “with the stroke of a pen.”

In a statement released after the vote, freshman Rep. Josh Brecheen (R-Okla.) denounced the rule as ungrateful to veterans.

“The rule disrespects disabled veterans who rely on stabilizing support in order to safely exercise their Second Amendment rights. I was proud to vote in favor of Congressman Andrew Clyde’s resolution to nullify this rule and stand up for the Constitution, veterans, and law-abiding gun owners across the country,” Brecheen’s statement reads.

Democrats have repeatedly invoked mass shootings in their arguments. Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) claimed the devices increase a weapon’s lethality by making the gun more accurate.

Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) said Republicans misread the Second Amendment as a “pro-insurrection” amendment. He said if a foreign government was killing citizens, the United States would declare war on them. According to Raskin, the “well-regulated militia” is meant to protect citizens.

“We don’t want to repeal the Second Amendment; we want to protect the American people from gun violence,” Raskin said.