Thursday on FNC’s “The Ingraham Angle,” Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) discussed the push by the Biden administration to create a federal registry for gun owners with a pistol brace.
According to the Kentucky Republican lawmaker, the federal government is threatening jail time for those who do not comply.
Partial transcript as follows:
INGRAHAM: Joining me now, that man just saw, Congressman Tom Massie of the House Judiciary Committee. Congressman, after embarrassing the ATF director, you said that they didn’t have the authority to put that rule in place. So why not? And how are you going to change that?
REP. THOMAS MASSIE, (R-KY): This is what we are talking about, this little piece of plastic. And I’m holding it here, but I won’t be holding it on June 1st because I would be a felon.
INGRAHAM: Can I hold it now, because I don’t want to be a felon.
(LAUGHTER)
INGRAHAM: So this is the big threat?
MASSIE: That’s the big threat to America is a piece of plastic.
INGRAHAM: Sig Sauer. That’s a good nine-millimeter. I like that.
MASSIE: And this was the original one that was designed. The ATF sent letter to the inventor and said this is legal and you can sell these. They sold millions of these. They are between 10 million and 40 million of these in the hands of American citizens. And they’ve been given 120 days to comply or go to prison. Now, there’s only about 30 days left on the clock, and compliance isn’t even possible in 13 states, because if you reclassify it as a short-barreled rifle, it’s illegal in that state.
But in the other states where you could do it, you’re going to go into a registry. And this is what Joe Biden wants. He wants 10 million to 40 million people to go into a registry by owning a piece of plastic.
INGRAHAM: Then they know law abiding people, what they own and how many guns they own. My question to this is, again, explain why this makes it a short-barreled rifle? Because you can hold it without breaking your wrist, or what?
MASSIE: They are claiming that people will take this and shoulder it and put it on their shoulder. And then —
INGRAHAM: That doesn’t even look right.
MASSIE: It’s made to go around. It’s got a strap.
INGRAHAM: Can we see this.
MASSIE: It’s made to go on your wrist like this. If you so much as do this, they say, now you’ve got a rifle.
Here’s the problem, Laura. For 10 years they said it wasn’t a rifle. And law-abiding Americans bought them under the direction of the ATF. Congress hasn’t changed the law. But the ATF under Biden has just arbitrarily said we are going to make all these —
INGRAHAM: We know why they are doing this. Is there any — he was so flummoxed in that Q and A with you. I don’t know who did his moot court before he went on that panel, but he needs to fire whoever helped prep him. Maybe it was Kamala’s prep person. But he didn’t seem to even have the slightest inkling of what this actually will result in for Americans, or not care.
MASSIE: He also said something in there that was news to us. He said if you so much as separate this from the firearm, then you’re illegal. That’s in contravention of what his actual rules says, but he may have just given inadvertently a safe harbor to millions of people. Consult your lawyers, though, before you take this advice.
INGRAHAM: Kids, don’t do this at home.
MASSIE: Don’t do this at home. But he said all you’ve got to do is separate it from the firearm. That’s not what the rules say, but that’s what the ATF director said in our hearings. So I found that very —
INGRAHAM: There will be litigation, obviously, against this, if this rule goes forward. But there will be litigation and it’ll take years.
MASSIE: I don’t think this will hold up in court, their rule. But in the meantime, he’s telling people to destroy these, throw them away, ban them, or register your firearm with Joe Biden.
Follow Jeff Poor on Twitter @jeff_poor
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