The Big Beautiful Bill didn’t make a ripple when it hit the public; it made a tidal wave. The Big Beautiful Bill initially promised to remove the tax on suppressors. The wording made it sound like they would remain on the registry, but the bill would remove the tax required to transfer them. That wording passed the House, and people were utterly shocked.
The Big Beautiful Back to the Drawing Board Bill
Caution was encouraged as the bill went to the Senate. They could alter the bill and kill the tax-free suppressors. Imagine the gun world’s shock when they did the opposite. They didn’t just remove the tax but were disassembling the NFA. The Hearing Protection Act stripped suppressors from the registry and eliminated the tax.
Oh, but wait, there’s more. They added the SHORT Act, which would remove short-barreled rifles and shotguns from the NFA as well. This was major news. Civil rights activists were astounded and cheered the bill on. I know I was. Anti-gunners made stupid Tweets displaying their complete lack of knowledge of suppressors. My favorite being an anti-Civil Rights activist asking if assassins were lobbying for suppressor removal.
Setbacks and The Byrd Rule
Speed bumps were hit. The public lands sell-off drew a lot of attention. This was a spot where the granola-infused hippies and the gun owners united. It turns out gun owners like to shoot on public lands, like to hunt on public lands, and generally like nature. We are a group that touches grass more than others. Luckily, the land sell-off of the Big Beautiful Bill was struck down, an undercurrent of timid excitement. That died this morning.
Sadly, the Parliamentarian of the United States Senate, Elizabeth MacDonough, ruled that the HPA and SHORT Act are not Byrd Rule compliant. The Byrd Rule restricts what can be put into a reconciliation bill. A provision can be judged as extraneous and not be included. The role of the Parliamentarian is the advisor on the Standing Rules of the United States Senate, which includes the Byrd Rule.
My Take and What Comes Next
I’m no legal scholar—hell, I’m not a scholar of anything but obscure .32 calibers. However, it seems like the Parliamentarian is saying the NFA isn’t a tax provision, which means that it’s regulation on a right and should be overturned by SCOTUS. Good luck on that happening, but I try to look at the upsides.
I let myself get excited over the Big Beautiful Bill, which was dumb since stocks in “Never Ever Happens” are currently skyrocketing. I’m also partial to the idea that Republicans only included it in the bill so Democrats would remove it, and they could blame them for it. That seems to be the usual game they play.
Luckily, it’s not over yet. We can and should start raising a racket. Make a fuss, call the Senate, contact your reps. Raise hell, be annoying as you can. It might not have any effect, but it will feel cathartic at the very least.
