Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Elise Stefanik cosponsored the Repealing Excise Tax on Unalienable Rights Now (RETURN) our Constitutional Rights Act to eliminate the federal excise tax on firearms and ammunition.
“I am proud to join my colleagues in introducing legislation to eliminate this harmful tax that infringes on Americans’ ability to exercise their Second Amendment rights,” Stefanik said. “Make no mistake, I will not allow the government to tax the constitutional right of for hardworking Americans by marking up the price to exercise one’s Second Amendment rights. As the Far-Left agenda attempts to shred Second Amendment rights, I will continue to stand up for the Constitution.”
Currently, an excise tax is applied at the manufacturer level for every firearm and all ammunition sold in the United States that is purchased by anyone other than the Department of Defense and state or local law enforcement. This tax infringes on Americans' ability to exercise their Second Amendment rights and creates a dangerous opportunity for the government to weaponize taxation to price this unalienable right out of reach for most Americans.
Since the current firearms tax revenue funds beneficial programs under the Pittman-Robertson Act, such as hunter education and environmental care, this legislation redirects unallocated lease revenue generated by onshore and offshore energy development on federal lands, which currently flows into the general fund, to continue funding those important programs.
Read full bill text, led by Congressman Andrew Clyde (R-GA), here.
