<Opinion
A powerful coalition of grassroots pro-gun leaders from across the country is calling on Congress to include real National Firearms Act (NFA) reform in President Trump’s proposed tax-focused “Big Beautiful Bill.” These groups are demanding that Congress stop watering down pro-gun legislation and restore Americans’ rights by fully including the Hearing Protection Act (HPA) and the Stop Harassing Owners of Rifles Today (SHORT) Act in the final reconciliation package.
The open letter—signed by more than 30 leaders from major 2A organizations nationwide—was delivered to key members of the House Budget and Rules Committees on May 17th, 2025.
It urges lawmakers to restore sections of the HPA and SHORT Act that were removed or watered down during committee markup.
What’s at Stake
The Hearing Protection Act (H.R. 404) would remove firearm suppressors (a.k.a. silencers) from the NFA. While opponents claim suppressors make guns “silent,” the truth is they only reduce the noise to safer levels—levels that protect the hearing of hunters, sport shooters, and even bystanders. The American Academy of Otolaryngology has endorsed suppressors as hearing protection devices. Yet under current law, Americans must pay a $200 tax and wait months or even years to legally own one. The HPA would eliminate that tax and treat suppressors like ordinary firearms—still subject to a background check, but without the bureaucratic nonsense.
The SHORT Act (H.R. 2395) would do the same for short-barreled rifles (SBRs) and shotguns (SBSs)—firearms that are functionally no different from their longer-barreled versions. These guns were added to the NFA back in 1934 as part of a failed attempt to ban handguns. The pistol ban was removed, but SBRs and SBSs were left on the chopping block—an oversight that has criminalized millions of Americans for owning a barrel a few inches too short.
Why This Matters Now
The reconciliation bill—President Trump’s major tax and revenue package—provides a rare opportunity. Because it deals with tax issues, it bypasses the Senate filibuster and only needs a simple majority to pass. Since the NFA is legally considered a tax law, repealing suppressor and SBR restrictions through reconciliation is not only legal—it’s smart strategy.
Unfortunately, Republican leadership in the House Ways and Means Committee, led by Rep. David Kustoff (R-TN), gutted the bills. They removed language delisting SBRs and SBSs and replaced the HPA with a weak version that only removes the $200 tax—but keeps suppressors under NFA regulation and registration. Gun owners saw it for what it was: a fake win.
“GunVoters are watching,” warned Jeff Knox, NRA Board member and longtime AmmoLand News contributor. “We’ve done our part—we voted, we donated, we knocked doors. Now it’s time for Congress to deliver real results, not lip service.”
The Grassroots Uproar
In response, gun rights leaders signed a strongly worded letter urging Congress to act. Signatories include well-known organizations like the Virginia Citizens Defense League, Montana Shooting Sports Association, Connecticut Citizens Defense League, Buckeye Firearms Association, and many more. Even current and former NRA board members lent their names to the cause.
They argue that removing suppressors and SBRs from the NFA is not just about gun rights—it’s about public health, personal liberty, and restoring constitutional integrity.
They also called out anti-gun groups like Everytown for Gun Safety, which claim suppressor deregulation would make gun crimes harder to detect. “That’s a lie,” the letter states plainly.
“Suppressors don’t silence gunshots—they just make them less damaging to your ears. Criminals already make illegal suppressors. The only ones punished by these rules are law-abiding citizens.”
The Full List of Signatories:
- Grass Roots North Carolina
• F. Paul Valone – President
• Executive Director, Rights Watch International - Montana Shooting Sports Association
• Gary Marbut – President - Virginia Citizens Defense League
• Philip Van Cleave – President - Florida Carry, Inc.
• Sean Caranna – Executive Director - New York State Rifle & Pistol Association
• Tom King – President - New Hampshire Firearms Coalition, Inc.
• Rep. JR Hoell – President - Oregon Firearms Federation
• Kevin Starrett – Director - South Carolina Carry
• Mike Duralia – President - West Virginia Citizens Defense League
• Kevin Patrick, Jr. – Acting President - Coalition of New Jersey Firearm Owners
• Matthew Andras – President - Maryland Shall Issue
• Mark W. Pennak – President - Illinois State Rifle Association
• Richard Pearson – Executive Director - Women’s Defense League of NH
• Kimberly Morin – President - Allegheny County Sportsmen’s League
• Klint Macro – President - Beaver County Sportsmen’s Conservation League
• Rich Kerlin – President - Unified Sportsmen of Pennsylvania
• Blaine Toy – President - 2nd Amendment Organization
• Rob Pincus – Director - Women for Gun Rights
• Dianna Muller – President - Firearms Owners Against Crime Institute
• J.R. Stoker Jr. – President - Gun Owners of New Hampshire
• Dr. Joe Hannon – Vice President - National Rifle Association (for identification only)
• Dennis Fusaro – Member, Legislative Policy Committee
• Jon Richardson – Member
• Rocky Marshall – Member, Board of Directors - Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus
• Bryan Strawser – Chair - Virginia Shooting Sports Association
• David Adams – Executive Director - Gun Owners of Maine
• Laura Whitcomb – President - Texas State Rifle Association
• John C. Poole II – Executive Director - Indiana State Rifle and Pistol Association
• Charles Hiltunen – President - Gun Owners of Vermont
• Eric Davis – President - Buckeye Firearms Association
• Linda Walker – President - VT Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs
• Jeffrey Kaufman, MD – Board of Directors
• Chris Bradley – President - Colorado State Shooting Association
• Huey Laugesen – Executive Director - BamaCarry
• James D Jones – Secretary and Board Member - The Firearms Coalition
• Jeff Knox – Director
• Member, NRA Board of Directors (for identification only)
What’s Next?
After conservative Republicans blocked the bill in committee on May 16—partly over the removal of real gun reform—negotiations resumed over the weekend. The House Budget Committee is expected to take another crack at the bill this week, with pressure mounting from the 2A community to include full provisions from the HPA and SHORT Act.
If the restored bill passes the House, it heads to the Senate—where it only needs a simple majority to pass under reconciliation rules.
Gun Owners of America, the NRA, the Second Amendment Foundation, and dozens of state-based gun rights groups are urging Americans to call their Representatives and demand full inclusion of H.R. 404 and H.R. 2395. “No compromise. No half-measures,” the letter states. “The time for action is now.”
TAKE ACTION:
Call the House Rules Committee and House Budget Committee and tell them you support full passage of the Hearing Protection Act and SHORT Act as part of Trump’s reconciliation bill. Don’t let them sell out gun owners with a watered-down compromise.
2025 Open Letter to Reform the National Firearms Act
GOP Senators Offer ‘SHORT’ Act to Stop Gun Owner ‘Harassment’
HPA and SHORT Act Stalled in Committee, Last Chance for Gun Owners to Act
Why stop there? Should be the entire unconstitutional NFA getting abolished and repealed, and all current records expunged, and all tax stamps reimbursed. Machine guns for sale at every store…
Don’t forget that Silencer Central was lobbying against the HPA to protect their bottom line.
There have been unsubstantiated, anonymous accusations against Silencer Central and former NRA lobbyist Chris Cox, claiming they supported and lobbied for a compromise proposal to reduce or eliminate the tax on suppressors.
Those allegations have been flatly and unequivocally denied by both parties.
Silencer Central has, in years past, supported a proposal that would have earmarked some NFA tax stamp funds toward wildlife and habitat conservation, similar to the Pittman Robertson Act, but they say they have always strongly supported full deregulation of suppressors.
Let’s stay focused on the real target.
In Europe, with all their gun control laws, hunters and target shooters are required to use sound suppressors so as not to frighten people when shooting. People can walk into a store and purchase sound suppressors. Only in America, are they heavily restricted. The only reason why sound suppressors were added to the illegal 1934 NFA, is because some joker with the Fish and Game had a senator for a friend and told him to add sound suppressors to the bill, not to stop bootleggers and bank robbers, but to stop poachers ! So did that stop poaching? Of course… Read more »
Abolish all arms laws. 2A isn’t just about firearms. It’s about all the deadly instruments of the soldier… That means firearms of all kinds, and even bigger stuff…
I think it might have been very helpful for them to include the enrollment of each of the signature organizations to illustrate the number of Constituents that agree with this
Two points simply send a letter to all representatives stating this clearly without questionable wording.
Second point find it telling that yawls’s signatures are missing from the open letter sent by the other organizations to the legislators.
The conservative Republicans that blocked the bill didn’t do so because of the gutting of it’s 2A provisions, they did so because it doesn’t cut as much from Medicaid as they want it to.