{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.kelly.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/kelly-colleagues-condemn-dojs-failure-to-vigorously-defend-fundamental-gun-violence-prevention-law/", "Kelly, Colleagues Condemn DOJ\u2019s Failure to Vigorously Defend Fundamental Gun Violence Prevention Law", "2026-09-05", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "Senate", "AZ", "Mark Kelly", "K000377", "www.kelly.senate.gov", "markkelly", "https://www.kelly.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "scraper", "U.S. Senators Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Peter Welch (D-VT) and 10 of their colleagues condemned the Department of Justice (DOJ)\u2019s refusal to seek immediate appellate relief from a recent district court decision striking down key regulatory requirements of the National Firearms Act of 1934 (NFA).\n\nIn a letter to Attorney General Todd Blanche, the senators expressed serious concerns about DOJ\u2019s failure to vigorously defend the NFA, a foundational federal gun violence prevention law that regulates some of the most dangerous concealable weapons in the country.\n\n\u201cFor months, DOJ has defended the NFA in court against legal challenges brought by the firearms industry, certain state attorneys general, and the gun lobby. But less than one week after you were confirmed as Attorney General, the Department appears to have reversed course,\u201dwrote thesenators. \u201cThe Department\u2019s failure to immediately pursue an appeal in support of the NFA calls into question statements you made to the United States Senate during your confirmation process and raises serious doubts about your willingness\u2014and ability\u2014to keep Americans safe.\u201d\n\nLast month, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas held the NFA\u2019s regulatory requirements for certain highly dangerous weapons unconstitutional. Although the court temporarily stayed its order to give DOJ time to seek immediate appellate relief, DOJ declined to do so, opting instead to let the court\u2019s injunction take effect.\n\nThe senators demanded answers about DOJ\u2019s justification for not seeking immediate relief and called on DOJ to appeal the district court\u2019s decision.\n\n\u201cAs a result of DOJ\u2019s refusal to seek a stay of the District Court\u2019s order, some of the most dangerous concealable weapons in the country\u2014including those that have been used in several mass shootings\u2014can now be (and have been) bought and sold outside the NFA\u2019s heightened regulatory framework for the first time in nearly 100 years,\u201d concluded thesenators. \u201cWe urge the Department to resume its vigorous defense of the NFA and fulfill the promises you made to defend the constitutionality of laws passed by Congress and keep Americans safe.\u201d\n\nIn addition to Kelly, Padilla, and Welch, the letter was signed by Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA).\n\nThis letter continues Kelly\u2019s push for commonsense gun violence prevention. Kelly has repeatedly introduced the GOSAFE Act, legislation to protect communities from gun violence while safeguarding Americans\u2019 constitutional right to own a firearm. He also introduced the Background Check Completion Act to close the \u201cCharleston loophole\u201d that allows gun sales to proceed before a background check is completed. As a gun owner, combat veteran, and husband of a gun violence survivor, Kelly knows firsthand the damage these weapons can cause and has pushed Congress not to wait for the next tragedy to act.", 1, "2026-09-06T09:10:48Z", "2026-09-06T09:12:29Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.kelly.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/kelly-colleagues-condemn-dojs-failure-to-vigorously-defend-fundamental-gun-violence-prevention-law/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.0737029369920492, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}