The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) temporally stopped its efforts against green tip" ammunition this week as the Obama administrations plan to ban green tip ammunition fell flat.
The White House announced at the start of last week that it was behind a proposal from ATF to ban the manufacturing and sale of 5.56 mm/.223 caliber M855 green tip ammo which is commonly used in hunting, especially with AR-15 rifles.
White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest praised the idea as good for public safety, especially for law enforcement officials.
We are looking at additional ways to protect our brave men and women in law enforcement, and believe that this process is valuable for that reason alone, Earnest said last week, insisting Obama was behind common-sense steps that balance Second Amendment rights and public safety.
But on Tuesday, ATF announced it would hold off on efforts to ban green tip ammo until the public finished offering its thoughts on the matter. So far, majorities in both chambers of Congress -- 52 senators and 240 House representatives -- are against the ban. More than 80,000 Americans have let ATF know what they think of the ban with the overwhelming majority opposing it.
One of the House representatives who opposed the ban was U.S. Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Fla., who weighed in on the matter on Tuesday.
I am encouraged today by the announcement from the ATF that it will no longer seek to ban M855 or green tip ammunition, Miller said. I am proud to be part of the strong bipartisan effort to avert the Obama administrations overreach in limiting the Second Amendment by fiat.
The Second Amendment to the Constitution of the United States is an individual and sacred right that cannot be infringed, Miller added. It is my hope that the tremendous opposition to the ATFs proposal will send an unequivocal message to those who wish to take firearms out of the hands of law-abiding citizens. However, this administration has shown time and again it is willing to subvert the legislative process in order to achieve its agenda. I will remain diligent in my efforts to prevent this and other overreaches by this administration.
Miller was not the only member of the Florida delegation who pushed back against the ATF on the issue. U.S. Rep. Tom Rooney, R-Fla., unveiled theSecond Amendment Rights Act in recent weeks. Rooneys bill would ensure the ATF and other federal agencies would not be able to stop the manufacture and sale of that kind of ammunition.
The Obama administrations proposal would unilaterally strip law-abiding hunters and sportsmen of their Second Amendment rights, Rooney said when he brought out the bill at the end of February. Congress has made its intentions clear that this ammunition is for sporting purposes and should not be restricted. We cannot and we will not stand by while the Obama administration tramples on the Constitution, the rule of law, and the Second Amendment rights of hunters in my district and across the country.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or follow him on Twitter: @KevinDerbySSN
