NY Congresswoman Announces Bill to Tax AR Makers 20 Percent Extra on All Revenue

Today I intro’d two bills to combat the scourge of gun violence. My Firearm Industry Fairness Act will tax assault weapons manufacturers 20% off ALL revenue. pic.twitter.com/6ZEsOXhdzo

— Carolyn B. Maloney (@RepMaloney) August 19, 2022

New York Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney (D-12) introduced legislation this month that would punish firearm manufacturers that make modern sporting rifles (MSRs) by taxing them an additional 20 percent on all revenue, not just the revenue generated from MSRs.

The tax money would then be directed to “Community Violence Intervention” programs, per the legislation, known as the “Firearm Industry Fairness Act.”

Rep. Maloney contends that AR-pattern rifles are “far more dangerous” than an “ordinary hunting rifle” and are the “weapon of choice for mass shooters.” 

“My message is clear—if you continue to sell dangerous weapons of war to civilians, your cost of doing business will go up,” said the Democrat, who serves as Chair of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform.  

“There is no reason that an assault weapon used in mass shootings should be taxed at the same rate as a family hunting rifle or a gun manufacturer should be allowed to ignore the crimes committed with their products,” she added.  

SEE ALSO: 8 Facts About Mass Killings & Gun-Related Violence That Democrats Must Acknowledge

The notion that MSRs are the “weapon of choice for mass shooters” is a lie.  Handguns are used in the majority of mass shootings, as GunsAmerica previously reported. 

Moreover, rifles as an entire category — including MSRs — were only used in 3 percent of all gun-related homicides in 2020, according to the FBI.  

Mark Oliva, the managing director of public affairs for the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the firearms industry trade association called the legislation a “desperate attempt” to “out gun control” Rep. Nadler before the primary that she ultimately lost.

“It is an attempt to malign the Modern Sporting Rifle as something that is evil. In fact, more MSRs are in circulation today than there are Ford F-150s on the road,” noted Oliva.

“They are used daily for all lawful purposes, including hunting, recreational shooting and self-defense. Legislation of this nature is exactly why NSSF is constantly vigilant on Capitol Hill and in our state capitols. We must always call out attempts to legislate away our Second Amendment rights,” he added.

Rep. Maloney also introduced an additional piece of legislation known as the “Firearm Industry Crime and Trafficking Accountability Act” which seeks to hold the gun industry liable for the criminal misuse of their products by third-party actors.

In other words, it would be like making Ford and GMC accountable for the actions of drunk drivers.

As a press release on the legislation stated:

This bill would require that each firearm manufacturer create a monitoring system to track the crimes committed with guns it has sold. It would also mandate that a manufacturer stop distributing weapons to a dealer when the company has reason to believe that the guns sold by that dealer are being trafficked or being used for unlawful purposes. Lastly, the bill empowers the ATF to impose meaningful financial penalties on firearms manufacturers that continue to ignore gun crime and supply bad-actor dealers.   

If passed into law, all of the above scrutiny and red tape placed on responsible gun makers and sellers will not reduce crime. What it will do, however, is create added costs that make it more difficult for those in the firearms industry to make a living. Which is, no doubt, the true objective.

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