As Support for Gun Lobby-Backed Bills Plummets, House GOP Looks to Deregulate Silencers
October 13, 2017– A new report by McClatchy finds that despite plummeting support for the gun lobby’s dangerous agenda, the House GOP is looking to quietly advance a bill that would roll back an 80-year-old law that carefully regulates the sale of gun silencers. The news comes as recent polls by NPR/Ipsos, Pew Research Center, POLITICO/Morning Consult and Huffington Post/YouGov show a solid majority of Americans favor reasonable policy proposals that limit access to guns to dangerous people and oppose the gun lobby’s dangerous agenda, including the deregulation of silencers.
“Just days after the worst shooting in modern American history, it’s absolutely astounding that our nation’s elected leaders would seriously consider how we can make the next mass shooting easier,” said Peter Ambler, Executive Director, Americans for Responsible Solutions. “The will of the American electorate could not be clearer: voters want their elected leaders to reject dangerous legislation, like the deregulation of silencers and federally mandated concealed carry, and to instead pass laws that protect our rights and our communities from gun violence. Our leaders must summon the courage to make our communities safer from gun violence and reject the deregulation of silencers, not cower in fear to the corporate gun lobby.”
Earlier this year, a Public Policy Polling survey conducted on behalf of Americans for Responsible Solutions PAC illustrated a disconnect between the views of gun owners and the priorities being pushed by the gun lobby. Key federal legislative priorities named by the NRA, including federally mandated concealed carry, deregulating the sale of gun silencers, and eliminating gun-free school zones, all received very low support from gun owners themselves.
Key findings from the polls include:
- Roughly eight-in-10 Americans favor bans on assault weapons, including 70 percent of Republicans.
- Roughly eight-in-10 Americans favor bans on “bump stocks,” including 77 percent of Republicans.
- Eight-in-10 Americans favor a federal database to track all gun sales.
- 94 percent of voters support requiring background checks for all gun purchases, including 93 percent of voters in gun households.
- 60 percent of voters support stricter gun laws, the highest level of support ever, according to Quinnipiac University. The previous high support was 54 percent on June 28th.
- 73 percent of voters support a ban on modifications to make a semi-automatic weapon fire more like an automatic weapon, including 67 percent of voters in gun households.
- 63 percent of voters believe it’s possible to make new gun laws without interfering with gun rights, including 57 percent of voters in gun households.
- 88 percent of voters support background checks on all gun sales.
- 64 percent of voters support stronger gun laws, including 41 percent who strongly support them.
- 79 percent of voters support banning bump stocks.
- 69 percent of voters support prohibiting guns at K-12 schools and on college campuses.
- Just 18 percent of Americans favor changing the law to let people buy gun silencers more quickly and without paying a fee, while 68 percent are opposed. 49 percent of Americans with a favorable view of the National Rifle Association say such restrictions should not be loosened, and only 38 percent say they should. Just 34 percent of those who voted for President Donald Trump are in favor of the change, while 52 percent of them oppose it.
- Forty-five percent of Americans say deregulating silencers would increase crime, while 33 percent say it wouldn’t have much of an impact.
- 67 percent of the gun owners feel that the NRA used to be an organization dedicated to gun safety, but it’s been overtaken by lobbyists and the interests of gun manufacturers and lost its original purpose and mission. Less than 50 percent of gun owners feel that the organization represents their interests.
- 88 percent of gun owners believe the requirement to have a permit to carry a concealed handgun in a public place should be continued.
- 73 percent of gun owners support current law regarding the sale of silencers, while just 24 percent believe silencers should be deregulated.
- 80 percent of gun owners support requiring a background check on all gun sales, including those sold online or at gun shows, while just 16 percent oppose them.
- 73 percent of gun owners are more likely to support a candidate who supports background checks for all gun purchases.
- By a 2 to 1 margin, gun owners support laws that prevent guns from being carried in K-12 schools.
To speak with a gun violence expert, contact press@