The Big, Beautiful Bill has passed its final vote in Congress and is on its way to President Trump’s desk. 

While I enjoyed listening to Democrat ‘Leader’ Hakeem Jeffries all but cry on the House floor for eight hours complaining about the bill, I’ll be honest…I’m furious right now.

Gun owners are getting nothing in this bill, other than an elimination of the tax stamp fee on suppressors and SBRs…

…a fee the next administration could immediately reinstate.

Suppressors remain an NFA-controlled item.

So do Short-Barreled Rifles and Shotguns.

How did this happen? I’ll tell you:

Seven days ago, almost every national level gun rights organization out there (GOA, NRA, FPC, and 2AF) cut an outrageous deal with Senator John Thune, refusing to fight the ruling of the Senate Democrat parliamentarian and agreeing to settle for this pathetic reduction on the NFA tax stamp. 

As you can see in the letter below (pay close attention specifically paragraphs two and three), dated June 27, SEVEN DAYS AGO, they agreed to this deal…giving up all leverage. 

OUTRAGEOUS!

This is what we call cutting deals with the Swamp, and it’s what the establishment gun lobby (GOA, NRA, FPC, 2AF) are experts at.

What’s even worse, each one of these groups spent the last seven days emailing and texting their members giving them hope that they could make all of their wildest 2A dreams come true if they just sent in a little bit more money.

They were gaslighting gun owners, aka knowingly giving them false hope. Despicable, but all too familiar behavior so common with the establishment gun lobby.

Collectively the establishment gun lobby has won ZERO victories in Congress in over 50 years. Imagine that.

Our national affiliate — the American Firearms Association — REFUSED to sign the letter they all signed knowing that it was the equivalent of a white flag of surrender, giving John Thune and Mike Johnson permission to screw over gun owners.

AFA and state level gun rights groups like ours spent big and mobilized gun owners in the House to support deregulating suppressors, SBSs, and SBRs … but these establishment gun groups pulled the rug a week ago out from under all of us.

Today’s passage of the BBB is certainly a landmark for our country and the Republican Party, no matter what you think about the bill, but once again, the establishment gun lobby failed to deliver a win for gun owners.

50 years of failed tactics. Failed strategy. Failed deal cutting with politicians who hate your guts.

If you and I are ever going to change what happens in Congress as it pertains to our 2A rights, the tactics and strategies must change to reflect the tactics we use at the state level.

Quite simply, the politicians are not scared of the establishment gun lobby. Why would they be? After all, they get endorsed by them every single election cycle.

Is there momentum on our side nationally for the Second Amendment? We are optimistic that is the case.

But we won’t win in Congress unless the ways of the old establishment gun lobby are thrown off and thrown away.

With that, I’m headed out of the office to take my kids shooting this evening. I hope you enjoy time with your family and friends too, in what remains the greatest country in the world.

For Freedom,

Aaron Dorr
Executive Director
NYS Firearms Association