House GOP Caves to Gun Lobby in Wake of Mass Shootings
Judiciary Republicans vote to roll back regulation of stabilizing braces, devices chosen by killers in Nashville, Colorado Springs, Boulder and Dayton mass shootings
Washington DC — Today, GIFFORDS, the gun violence prevention organization founded by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, released a statement after the House Judiciary Committee—with the support of only the Republican majority—voted to advance H.J. Res 44 that would nullify the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) rule clarifying that semi-automatic pistols with stabilizing braces are short-barreled rifles. Short-barreled rifles are regulated by the National Firearms Act, and are particularly lethal given they can be easily concealed and also fire rounds capable of defeating the body armor commonly worn by police. Republicans rescheduled the markup of the legislation following the Covenant School shooting, and now, three weeks later, they are moving forward.
GIFFORDS released a fact sheet debunking gun lobby misinformation about the stabilizing brace rule and a letter opposing the resolution advanced in committee today.
Adzi Vokhiwa, Federal Affairs Director, GIFFORDS:
“We are in the midst of a gun violence epidemic, and Americans are dying every single day. Instead of passing commonsense solutions to address gun violence or even doing the bare minimum and allowing ATF to simply enforce the laws on the books, the Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee are using every opportunity to erode federal gun laws and undermine public safety. Republicans are not serious about reducing crime in this country. If they were, they would put people’s lives before the gun lobby’s wishes.”
Lethal Usage of Pistol Braces:
Semi-automatic pistols equipped with stabilizing braces enable shooters to use the brace like a shoulder stock, enhancing the accuracy and maneuverability of the weapon when firing multiple rounds in quick succession. These weapons are also concealable, making it possible for shooters to hide them under clothing to enter public spaces.
These weapons have been used to perpetrate multiple mass shootings. On March 27, 2023, a shooter used a semi-automatic pistol equipped with a stabilizing brace to perpetrate a mass shooting at Covenant School, killing 6 people, 3 of whom were only 9 years old. On November 19, 2022, 5 people were killed and 25 others injured at Club Q in Colorado Springs, Colorado, with the gunman using a semi-automatic pistol with a stabilizing brace. On Monday, March 22, 2021, a gunman killed 10 people at a grocery store in Boulder, Colorado, using an AR-15-style pistol that had been modified with a stabilizing brace. A semi-automatic pistol equipped with a stabilizing brace was also used in the mass shooting in Dayton, Ohio, in which nine people were shot and killed and 27 others injured on August 4, 2019.
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