U.S.A. -(AmmoLand.com)- The U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform held a show hearing where firearm industry leaders testified on their efforts to keep lawfully-manufactured products out of the hands of criminals. Democrats on the committee broad-stroked the blame from criminals to firearm manufacturers to push for more gun control.
On several occasions, Democratic members ignored facts and blurred details to scapegoat legal firearm manufacturers and buyers. When corrected by Daniel Defense CEO Marty Daniel about the difference between fully-automatic, strictly-regulated military firearms and the commonly-owned civilian semiautomatic Modern Sporting Rifles (MSR), Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) responded, “Okay, we’re splitting hairs here.”
That’s a fairly significant “hair” and encapsulated a theme that Democratic committee members can’t be bothered with facts.
Setting the Table
Committee Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) is locked in a primary with Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.). The incumbents are trying to out-gun-control each other and Rep. Nadler passed a so-called “Assault Weapons Ban” out of his committee. The bill could be considered for a vote at any time.
Rep. Maloney wasn’t to be outdone. She called firearm CEOs to Capitol Hill to answer misguided questions on advertising and marketing practices.
“The gun industry is profiting off the blood of innocent Americans,” Rep. Maloney said. Daniel pushed back on the chairwoman’s comments. “Murderers are responsible” for these unthinkable crimes, not lawfully-sold firearms.
Second Amendment advocate Antonia Okafor testified that the Modern Sporting Rifle (MSR) has become the “great equalizer” among women – especially African American women – who are concerned with their ability to protect themselves and their families.
“Having access to an AR-15 provides a sense of safety for women without physical discomfort other guns might cause,” Okafor explained. “The Number One reason that women buy firearms is for self-defense, and the AR-15 allows women to have a larger firearm without having to absorb the recoil as much as one does with a smaller handheld firearm.”
From 1990-2020, industry data shows more than 24.4 million MSRs are in circulation today.
Attacks on Rights and Laws
Committee Democrats went after First Amendment free speech rights, painting firearm manufacturer advertisements as supportive of hate groups and “domestic terrorists.”
Rep. Ayanna Pressley (R-Mass.) alleged gun manufacturers sell “weapons of war to anyone who wants them,” and uses “marketing tactics that spread white supremacy and embolden far-right extremist groups.” The CEOs flatly rejected the absurdity and denied the accusations. Rep. Jody Hice (R-Ga.) called the accusations “absurd.”
The firearm leaders participating in the hearing, Daniel and Sturm, Ruger & Co., CEO Chris Killoy, defended their industry despite unfounded attacks by Democratic lawmakers against the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA). That’s the law that prevents frivolous lawsuits against firearm industry companies for the criminal actions committed by remote third parties.
“As long as gun manufactures have immunity to sell their weapons of war using harmful marketing tactics, Black and Brown communities will continue to be targeted,” Rep. Pressley added.
The firearm industry doesn’t have “immunity,” nor are they “the only outfit in the country that is immune,” as President Joe Biden has often repeated. It’s false. Just like it’s false to assert an MSR is the same as a fully-automatic, highly-restricted military rifle. That was ignored, as usual, by gun control Democrats. Congresswoman Maloney and those on her committee don’t care about facts.
About The National Shooting Sports Foundation
NSSF is the trade association for the firearm industry. Its mission is to promote, protect and preserve hunting and shooting sports. Formed in 1961, NSSF has a membership of thousands of manufacturers, distributors, firearm retailers, shooting ranges, sportsmen’s organizations, and publishers nationwide. For more information, visit nssf.org
“difference between fully-automatic… military firearms and… semiautomatic… responded, “Okay, we’re splitting hairs here.”
I am glad to hear that. Since we can lawfully possess the semi-automatic ones it would be splitting hairs to deny us the fully-automatic ones.
HLB
‘I was once asked by a gun prohibitionist my thoughts on his desire for my disarmament. I began to explain as best I could and he cut me off with an impatient, “Give me the short answer.” “Okay,” I said after pausing briefly, “If you try to take our firearms we will kill you.” ‘ — Mike Vanderboegh
Reminds one of the internet meme of our nationally beloved simpleton Forrest Gump, “In 1775, the British demanded we surrender our firearms. We shot them.”
Pressely is not a Republican, she is communist democrat.
Because we have compromised for so long, we find ourselves as gun owners, now at the brink of extinction. We were warned!
We are not on the brink of extinction!!! Gun owners are the last stand against this tyrannical government We are Americans and will fight to remain free while defending the constitution from those elite who are now over step their political reach.
It seems to me that there is a type of personality that can not refrain from seeking power, influence, and wealth at everyone else’s expense. Maybe we, as a society, could use psychological testing to screen candidates.
Today you can no longer screen a employee without violating that person rights if you are not very careful,
Example gender neutral I fellow what’s your name Opps that when the lawsuit begins
I disagree. Big error: Growing the fedgov 100x > it should be, huge conventional standing army, unofficial standing armies of spies & “Law Enforcement”, to surveil, track & crush civilian or even state resistance.
Join a “resistance” group & it’ll be infested with federales like Ray Epps. Can’t even try to find one w/o being tracked, caught at leisure. Through the Civil War the balance of tech & resources available to the people vs gvt was fairly equal.
Now feds have spy & mil tech & resources far beyond us. Resistance isn’t impossible, but it ain’t like 1775. More like:
Not so sure about that. Federales can be dealt with. Some may come over to our side. Kind of like Ukraine.
HLB
There is no cure for stupidity, you can’t fix stupid . No point in trying to use logic . Idiots can’t comprehend it !
M454 – it is more like they refuse to comprehend because it would challenge ALL of their preconceived notions (what they have been indoctrinated in since birth) and they simply cannot (or will not) allow that to happen.
Fact: you can not have an accurate discussion about firearms without appearing pedantic to those who know little to nothing about firearms and wish to remain willingly ignorant to push their agenda. Of course she complains about “splitting hairs” because she wants her supporters to complain about the same. It is far easier to push their agenda when supporters blindly follow rather than question. So anytime you are accused of being pedantic in a firearm discussion, take it as a compliment. Properly educated people soon realize the only argument they have is emotional, misinformed, willfully ignorant, and/or agenda driven. These… Read more »
The Gun Control activists have been sucking off Bloomberg’s Money Teat for so long, they don’t want loose it!
Someday, they wii deserve the Justice they so richly deserve!
get the justice …hope they get a spot in the dump dont belong in hallowed ground
While it is infuriating that these traitorous so called “representatives” constantly attempt to obfuscate facts and manipulate the citizenry into emotional knee-jerk reactions I find it equally maddening that so many pro gun advocates never point out that a fully automatic/select fire weapons should not be a “highly-restricted military rifles”. The Second Amendment makes no distinctions about an class of weaponry. We have the right to possess and utilize any and all kinds that the military does. How else are we to compete on an equal footing in any attempt to combat a tyrannical government which is one of the… Read more »
Yeah. We should have TOW ITAS, too… And I want an f-14… Ooh, and a F4 Phantom…
Wart Hog.
HLB
You can and should, if you can find a vendor, secured facility, and meet the maintenance requirements. There are companies that you can rent tanks, howitzers, and range time. Several companies have combat aircraft, including MIGs, if you want to go for a ride.
This won’t be a first democrats always embellish or lie that is there political parties model. They have been doing this since the civil war and as the evil dead Harry Reid said we lie and the rest of the party swears to it. I continue to write about the manufactures use of words for profit embellishing on tactical and military even combat it has become their advertising adjectives. While Hunting , Sporting, Family Fun , Competition, or just pants with a lot of pockets or comfortable boots sounds better and much harder to demonize. In the end the elite… Read more »
Make No mistake the Liberal Progressive Democrats haven’t forgot the Oath they took. It had and has No value. When they took it, they only considered it a necessary evil to get the power they desired. In order to force their Ideology and Agendas against Freedom and Liberty on the Citizenry.
They lie like used old rugs
they had their fingers crossed so it didnt count
Sounds like another group of “people” I know…
Truth is not a leftist value. Ideology over ideas. Leftists and especially New Left Progressives begin with a predetermined conclusion and then align their premises and facts to support that conclusion. They conclude all guns bad then align their premises and facts to support that conclusion. The conclude baby not baby and align their premises and facts to support killing baby. When facts don’t matter there is no negotiation. Only surrender. The sooner republicans and conservatives learn this truth the better.
The hallmark of left wing extremism legislators has always been passing laws that OTHERS must live under that THEY themselves do not have to lift one finger to submit to. One great example of this was in the 19th century when they waited until THEY divested themselves of slaves and got their money back out of owning them, THEN they attacked others in the Union for having slaves! Their raw hypocrisy led to a war that left over 700,000 Americans dead and twice that many wounded and many of those maimed for life. All because they DEMANDED their way RIGHT… Read more »