{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.lee.senate.gov/2023/12/lee-fires-back-at-biden-gun-export-restrictions-with-new-bill", "Lee Fires Back at Biden Gun Export Restrictions with New Bill", "2023-12-18", "2023", "2023-12", "Republican", "Senate", "UT", "Mike Lee", "L000577", "www.lee.senate.gov", "mikelee", "https://www.lee.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT), joined by Sens. John Thune (R-SD), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Steve Daines (R-MT), Mike Braun (R-IN), Tom Cotton (R-AR), and Rick Scott (R-FL), introduced the Protect American Gun Exporter Act. This bill comes in response to the Bureau of Industry and Security\u2019s (BIS) recent 90-day pause on the issuance of new export licenses for firearms, ammunition, and component parts to non-governmental end users in most foreign countries.\n\nOn October 27, 2023, without prior consultation with industry stakeholders, the BIS enacted a sweeping and unprecedented pause on export licenses\u2014a move that Senator Lee and co-sponsors argue was unnecessary and legally questionable. This legislative action underscores the urgency to address the repercussions of the BIS\u2019s decision, which could potentially cost the industry upwards of $90 million. The extensive economic impact threatens not only the financial stability of gun manufacturers but also the jobs of countless Americans reliant on this sector.\n\n\u201cThe arbitrary halt of firearm export licenses by the Biden administration lacks both justification and necessity,\" said Sen. Lee. \"The Protect American Gun Exporter Act guards our manufacturers against capricious policy shifts that unfairly target livelihoods simply because of industry affiliation.\u201d\n\n\u201cRestricting the lawful export of firearms and related components is just another tactic to hamstring the American firearms industry,\u201d said Sen. Thune. \u201cI\u2019m proud to support this legislation that would protect U.S. jobs and weaken illicit arms dealers.\u201d\n\n\u201cThis administration has proved it will stop at nothing to erode the rights of people in Wyoming to keep and bear arms,\u201d said Sen. Lummis. \u201cThis arbitrary pause is the latest example of the Biden administration\u2019s gun-grabbing policies that seek to undermine the people of Wyoming\u2019s constitutional rights and attack gun manufacturers. As a proud defender of our Second Amendment, I am partnering with Senator Lee to protect law-abiding citizens\u2019 right to bear arms from this administration\u2019s egregious and unfounded overreach.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe Biden administration continues its assault on the Second Amendment and prefers to put politics above the Constitution,\" said Sen. Scott. \"That\u2019s unacceptable, and we\u2019re here to send a message that this will not stand. I am proud to join my colleagues in sticking up for the gun manufacturers unfairly targeted by this unprecedented and unfounded action by the Biden Commerce Department. The Protect American Gun Exporter Act is commonsense legislation and should be enacted today.\u201d\n\n\u201cCongress shouldn\u2019t need a bill to ensure federal agencies do their job, yet here we are,\u201d said Rep. Mark Green. \u201cMy Protect American Gun Exporters Act requires the Department of Commerce to do the job laid out for it by Congress, bolstering the American business community, instead of anti-gun power grabs. Law-abiding citizens should be allowed to protect themselves, and law-abiding business owners should be allowed to sell to them. I appreciate Senator Lee\u2019s leadership and support for this in the Senate.\u201d\n\n\u201cThis unprecedented \u2018pause\u2019 on commercial firearm exports is yet another example of the Biden Administration\u2019s attempts to make firearms commerce more difficult, and shows their disdain for the right to self-defense,\u201d said Randy Kozuch, Executive Director of NRA-ILA. \u201cOn behalf of our millions of members, the NRA thanks Senator Lee on his efforts to curtail this bureaucratic overreach.\u201d\n\n\"This move by the Biden White House is just the latest instance of their weaponization of the federal government against the gun industry,\" said Gun Owners of America. \"It's always a pleasure to collaborate with Senator Lee and his team, and we\u2019re grateful for this bill to mitigate the impact Biden\u2019s rogue bureaucrats have had on firearm manufacturers.\u201d\n\nSen. Lee\u2019s bill seeks to:\n\nProhibit the Secretary of Commerce from imposing blanket pauses on new export licenses for businesses selling firearms, ammunition, and components to non-governmental end users abroad.\n\nPrevent the Secretary from unilaterally implementing policy changes following the Commerce Department\u2019s proposed \u201cassessment\u201d of current export controls on these products.\n\nEndorsing Organizations: Heritage Action, NRA-ILA, Gun Owners of America, the National Shooting Sports Foundation.\n\nSenator Lee believes that arbitrary administrative actions should not compromise the rights and livelihoods of Americans. The Protect American Gun Exporter Act is a move to protect American jobs, support legal business operations, and uphold the principles of due process and economic liberty.\n\nFor bill text, click HERE.\n\nFor a one-pager, click HERE.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:14:16Z"]], "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.lee.senate.gov/2023/12/lee-fires-back-at-biden-gun-export-restrictions-with-new-bill"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9295903146266937, "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"}