GOA Accuses ATF of Perpetuating ‘Engaged in the Business’ Rule
There are time-tested and easily documented reasons why wise observers rely on what is done rather than what is said.
So, when Gun Owners of America (GOA) accuses the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) of walking back on a recent announcement, it’s due to a well-chronicled history of federal officials saying one thing but doing another.
This time, it’s the agency’s “fake rollback” of the “Engaged in the Business” rule that singled out private gun sales for federal background checks.
The controversial rule needs elimination, not just a reshuffling of the deck
In a release, GOA slammed the continuation of the prior administration’s controversial policy.
The ATF previously established “backdoor universal background checks” by simply redefining “dealer,” and its new proposal “keeps key parts of its legal framework and leaves gun owners exposed.”
In a powerful statement, GOA charged that “ATF still treats everyday behavior by gun owners as suspicious.” Having a list of personal firearms, reselling a weapon in a short time span, or merely offering a firearm for sale would still be enough to trigger suspicion.
Proposed ATF rule would continue to target private gun owners
“The agency continues to push the idea that intent alone can be enough evidence to prosecute law-abiding gun owners as illegal firearms traffickers,” GOA said in a statement.
In a letter that the Second Amendment rights group provided for members to send to the ATF, GOA called for the proposal’s withdrawal. It is not enough to change the window dressing but still maintain the framework of the “Engaged in the Business” rule.
Instead, the agency must abide by clear federal directives and precedents to guide its path.
The ATF stopped defending the rule in April, and all signs pointed toward real reform that respected the right to keep and bear arms. But the devil is in the details, and diligent oversight by 2A groups such as GOA exposed what may be only an illusion of progress.
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