A Republican senator is leading a bill that would block the Secretary of Commerce from restricting export licenses to U.S. gun manufacturers.
Utah Republican Sen. Mike Lee on Monday introduced the U.S. Gun Exporter Protection Act, which would block Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo from suspending the department's 90-day suspension of gun export licenses.
“The Biden administration's arbitrary suspension of firearms export licenses lacks legitimacy and necessity,” Lee said in a press release.
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Utah Republican Sen. Mike Lee introduced the U.S. Gun Exporter Protection Act on Monday to block Secretary Gina Raimondo's 90-day suspension of the department's gun export licenses. (Cheris May/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“The U.S. Gun Exporter Protection Act protects our nation's manufacturers from capricious policy changes that unfairly target livelihoods simply because of their industry affiliations,” Lee continued.
join lee The bill includes Sens. John Thune of South Dakota, Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming, Steve Daines of Montana, Mike Brown of Indiana, Tom Cotton of Arkansas, and Rick of Florida. Includes Republican senators like Scott.
In addition, House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green (R-Tenn.) is leading the House bill.
“Restricting the legal export of firearms and related parts is just another tactic to undermine America's firearms industry,” Thune, a Senate Republican, said in a press release. “I’m proud to support this bill that will protect American jobs and weaken the power of illegal arms dealers.”
Joining Sen. Mike Lee on this bill is fellow Republican Sen. Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming. (FOX News Digital/John Michael Raasch)
“This administration has proven it will stop at nothing to erode the right of the people of Wyoming to keep and bear arms,” Lummis said. “This arbitrary suspension is the latest example of the Biden administration's gun takeaway policies that violate Wyoming's constitutional rights and seek to attack gun manufacturers.”
“As a proud defender of the Second Amendment, I will work with Senator Lee to protect the right of law-abiding citizens to bear arms from the outrageous and baseless excesses of this administration,” she said. continued.
“Congress shouldn't need legislation to ensure that federal agencies do their job, and yet we've come this far,” Greene said. “My U.S. Gun Exporter Protection Act requires the Commerce Department to do the job Congress set out to do and support America's business community, not an anti-gun power grab.”
“Law-abiding citizens should be allowed to protect themselves, and law-abiding business owners should be allowed to sell to the public,” he continued. “I appreciate Sen. Lee’s leadership and support for this in the Senate.”
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House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green (R-Tenn.) is leading the House bill. (Ting Sheng/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Specifically, Mr. Lee's bill would require Mr. Raimondo to “take any action to implement the assessment announced on October 27, 2023 in connection with the suspension of the issuance of new export licenses by the Department of Commerce; The authority to make policy changes resulting from that evaluation will be taken away. This applies to the export of all items regulated under the Ministry's Commercial Control List.
Additionally, the bill would require that the Secretary of Commerce, in the first paragraph of the bill, “suspend or otherwise suspend or prohibit the issuance of new export licenses for the export of some or all of the items described.'' ” is prohibited.
Their bill comes after Republicans on the House Small Business Committee asked the Commerce Department for answers about the moratorium.
The chairman, Rep. Roger Williams (R-Texas), sent a letter earlier this month to Alan Estevez, the Commerce Department's undersecretary for industry and security. Suspend the issuance of gun export licenses.
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“The Biden administration continues its relentless attacks on small businesses, and with yet another decision, it will only make life harder for our nation's entrepreneurs,” Williams said.
“Additionally, this decision very likely violates the Second Amendment, which I do not support,” Williams warned.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Department of Commerce for comment.
