Staff Reports
In a move that is sure to irk gun owners and Second Amendment supporters, Democratic members of Congress have introduced a bill that would impose restrictions on bulk ammunition sales, licensing requirements on ammunition vendors, and background checks for ammunition buyers. The bill, known as the Ammunition Modernization and Monitoring Oversight Act, was introduced by Democratic U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, and Democratic U.S. Representatives Robert Garcia of California and Debbie Wasserman-Schultz of Florida.
Gun violence is a national epidemic that requires a national solution, yet there are essentially no federal regulations governing the sales of ammunition. @SenWarren and I are changing that with the AMMO Act. pic.twitter.com/wR3GqiaQi4
— Congressman Robert Garcia (@RepRobertGarcia) November 2, 2023
Under this proposed legislation, businesses selling ammunition would be required to possess the same federal licenses that gun dealers are required to obtain. Additionally, ammunition vendors would be required to conduct background checks on customers before selling them ammunition. The bill’s sponsors argue that these measures are necessary to compensate for the lack of regulation on ammunition sales.
Interestingly, the policy proposed by this legislation already exists in the state of California. According to Breitbart News, ammunition can only be purchased from state-approved vendors in California, and background checks are required for ammunition purchases. The bill would essentially take this existing policy and make it federal law.
Proponents of the bill argue that it is a common-sense step to restrict ammunition sales, strengthen federal oversight, and curb gun violence in America. “No family should endure the pain of losing a loved one to gun violence,” said Representative Debbie Wasserman-Schultz. “This bill will save lives.”
However, critics of the bill argue that it infringes on the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens. They contend that these restrictions on ammunition sales only serve to make it more difficult for responsible gun owners to exercise their right to self-defense. The debate over gun control and Second Amendment rights is sure to be contentious as this bill moves forward.
