Overview

• Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough found that stripping tax plus registration requirements for suppressors with short-barrel firearms under the National Firearms Act violated Senate budget reconciliation rules
• Republican senators must secure 60 votes to override the ruling or rewrite the provision if they want to restore the NFA changes
• Senate Majority Leader John Thune said overruling the parliamentarian would jeopardize the broader budget bill, making an override unlikely without sufficient support
• Gun rights groups including Gun Owners of America plus the National Association for Gun Rights have vowed to mobilize members to challenge the decision, pursuing legislative remedies
• Public safety experts warn that loosening the NFA’s tax plus registration regime could weaken weapon tracking, increasing risks to law enforcement and communities