Democrats Press Trump Officials Over Rollback of Biden Gun Export Limits

Overview

• More than 50 Democratic senators and representatives led by Elizabeth Warren, Dick Durbin, Joaquin Castro, and Gregory Meeks sent a letter to Commerce and State challenging the Sept. 30 rescission.
• The Bureau of Industry and Security ended the 2024 rule citing firearms industry estimates of hundreds of millions in lost sales and a goal of easing regulatory burdens, and it also scrapped certain congressional notification requirements.
• Lawmakers asked for documentation by Nov. 4, including any meetings with firearm industry stakeholders, data on diversion since 2017, and the analysis used to justify the rollback.
• The Biden-era rule had created a presumption to deny exports of certain small arms to non-government buyers in high-risk countries, shortened license terms to one year, and was informed by a GAO finding that 73% of crime guns recovered in the Caribbean traced to the U.S.
• An 80-plus NGO coalition backed the letter and warned the policy change could arm cartels and abusive actors even as the administration conducts lethal strikes on suspected trafficking boats in the Caribbean.