President Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” is set to restore gun rights by removing decades-old restrictions on silencers, short-barreled rifles, and shotguns—a major win for Second Amendment advocates fighting burdensome regulations.
Key Takeaways
- The GOP tax reform bill includes provisions to remove silencers from the National Firearms Act, eliminating the $200 tax and additional background checks
- Senate version expands deregulation to include short-barreled rifles and shotguns, removing them from NFA restrictions
- Republicans frame the measure as protecting Second Amendment rights and gun owners’ hearing health
- Democrats, led by Chuck Schumer, oppose the provision, citing law enforcement and public safety concerns
- President Trump aims to have the complete tax and spending package on his desk by July 4th
Second Amendment Victory in Tax Reform Package
In a significant win for gun rights advocates, the GOP’s comprehensive tax reform bill includes provisions to ease longstanding restrictions on firearm accessories and certain firearms. The legislation would remove suppressors—commonly but inaccurately called “silencers”—from regulation under the National Firearms Act of 1934, eliminating both the $200 tax stamp requirement and the additional layer of background checks currently mandated for their purchase. The Senate has expanded this provision to include short-barreled rifles and shotguns, which have faced similar restrictions for nearly a century.
Republican lawmakers have championed these changes as necessary to protect constitutional rights that have been unfairly burdened by excessive taxation and regulation. The reforms represent the most significant rollback of federal gun restrictions in decades and fulfill long-sought goals of Second Amendment advocates who have argued that these regulations created unnecessary barriers for law-abiding gun owners without meaningful public safety benefits. President Trump has made the passage of this “One Big Beautiful Bill” a priority, aiming to have it on his desk by Independence Day.
GOP tax bill would ease regulations on gun silencers and some rifles and shotgunshttps://t.co/aeNAFfHT4b pic.twitter.com/QeRDloK10Y
— The Washington Times (@WashTimes) June 24, 2025
Protecting Gun Owners’ Rights and Hearing
Supporters of the provision point out that suppressors are primarily used for hearing protection during recreational shooting and hunting. Unlike their portrayal in Hollywood movies, suppressors don’t actually “silence” firearms but rather reduce noise levels to help prevent hearing damage for shooters. The current regulations have made these safety devices prohibitively expensive and difficult to obtain for many gun owners, creating what Republicans see as an unconstitutional barrier to exercising Second Amendment rights.
The inclusion of short-barreled rifles and shotguns in the Senate version represents an even more substantial reform. These firearms have been heavily restricted since the 1930s, requiring the same $200 tax stamp and enhanced background checks as suppressors. Gun rights advocates have long argued that these restrictions arbitrarily criminalize firearms based on cosmetic features rather than functionality, creating confusion and potential legal traps for gun owners who might inadvertently violate technical regulations regarding barrel length.
Democrat Opposition and Misleading Claims
Predictably, Democrats have voiced strong opposition to the firearms provisions in the tax bill. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer has attempted to use parliamentary procedures to remove the gun-related provisions, claiming they aren’t budget-related despite the obvious connection to eliminating a federal tax. Schumer and other Democrats continue to rely on fear-mongering rather than facts when discussing these common-sense reforms that would align American gun laws more closely with those of many European countries where suppressors are widely available.
“I’m glad the Senate is joining the House to stand up for the Second Amendment and our Constitution, and I will continue to fight for these priorities as the Senate works to pass President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill,” said Texas Sen. John Cornyn.
Gun control organizations have predictably opposed the measure, recycling the same debunked claims about suppressors that have been repeatedly proven false by actual data. Despite their misleading claims, suppressors remain rarely used in crimes according to federal statistics. The opposition appears more ideologically driven than based on evidence, as the proposed changes would still maintain standard background checks and other existing regulations for purchasing firearms, only removing the additional tax and regulatory burden specifically associated with these items.
A Return to Constitutional Rights
The inclusion of these Second Amendment protections in a tax reform package highlights the administration’s commitment to addressing multiple conservative priorities simultaneously. By removing these Depression-era restrictions that have unfairly burdened law-abiding gun owners for generations, the legislation represents a significant step toward restoring full Second Amendment rights. The bill stands in stark contrast to previous gun legislation passed during Democratic control, which focused on imposing additional restrictions rather than removing unnecessary ones.
With President Trump’s clear directive to have this comprehensive package completed by July 4th, Americans who value their constitutional rights can look forward to a fitting Independence Day celebration that includes greater freedom from government overreach into their Second Amendment rights. The bill demonstrates the administration’s commitment to both fiscal responsibility and constitutional principles, addressing excessive taxation on multiple fronts simultaneously.
