Texas Congressman Michael Cloud Introduces Anti-Gun Registry Bill

  |  
Mar 2, 2023

Earlier in March, Texas Congressman Michael Cloud reintroduced legislation that would require the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) to get rid of gun purchase records that the agency has in its database as the agency clamps down on firearm stores.

On March 1, 2023, Cloud put forward the No Retaining Every Gun in a System That Restricts Your (No REGISTRY) Rights Act, which would mandate the ATF to get rid of all purchase records it has in its databases.

On top of that, Cloud’s legislation would compel gun stores to destroy their purchase records, which would prevent the ATF from getting its hands on the records. 

“The Second Amendment is clear: the right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed,” Cloud declared in a press release sent to Fox News Digital.

“The Federal Government does not have the right to subject its law-abiding, citizen firearm owners to excessive scrutiny,” Cloud continued. “My bill would dismantle ATF’s record keeping, restore privacy for American gun owners, and reverse the groundwork laid for the creation of a federal firearms registry.” 

Aidan Johnston, GOA director of federal affairs, said to Fox News Digital “ATF has no business maintaining nearly a billion gun and gun owner records in a digital, searchable database.”

“ATF’s recordkeeping authority has been weaponized and all statutory protections against the creation of a gun registry have been maliciously circumvented,” Johnston added.

“Gun Owners of America proudly supports Rep. Michael Cloud’s No REGISTRY Rights Act to rein in this rogue agency and completely eliminate ATF’s unconstitutional gun registry,” Johnson concluded.

Thus far, the bill has over 60 sponsors. The bill also enjoys support from GOA, the National Rifle Association (NRA), and the Firearms Regulatory Accountability Coalition (FRAC).

Due to Republican control of the House, this bill has a good chance of passing. The Senate is a different matter altogether due to Democratic control of the chamber, so it will likely die there. Cloud’s bill is a good start though. 

At the end of the day, the ATF needs to be abolished. It’s an unconstitutional agency that has no business of being in existence in what is supposed to be a constitutional republic. Hopefully, more Republicans start upping the ante and introducing legislation to defund if not abolish the ATF. 

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