Restore the Hearing Protection Act and SHORT Act to the Big Beautiful Bill — End the $200 Gun Tax

We, the undersigned, demand that Congress restore the Hearing Protection Act (HPA) and the SHORT Act to the Big Beautiful Bill (BBB) or any other viable piece of federal legislation.

These common-sense reforms were designed to:

Remove suppressors (also known as “silencers”) from regulation under the National Firearms Act (NFA)
Remove short-barreled rifles and shotguns from the NFA
Eliminate the outdated and punitive $200 tax stamp imposed by the NFA since 1934

The HPA and SHORT Act were quietly stripped from the BBB behind closed doors, not through open debate or vote, but by a ruling from the Senate Parliamentarian—an unelected official whose decisions are not binding law.

The justification? That these reforms violated the Byrd Rule, which restricts what can be included in budget reconciliation bills. But this claim doesn’t hold up

🔹 The $200 NFA tax generates $30–$40 million in federal revenue per year

🔹 Removing this tax is clearly a budget-relevant action

🔹 The primary effect of both the HPA and SHORT Act is to eliminate this tax

🔹 The Byrd Rule allows non-incidental budget items, and this is not incidental

Denying these provisions based on the Byrd Rule was not just incorrect—it was a subversion of democratic process. The American people never got a fair hearing on these reforms, and millions of law-abiding gun owners were ignored.

Suppressors are not tools of crime—they are safety devices. They reduce noise exposure and protect the hearing of recreational shooters, hunters, and instructors. Even OSHA and the CDC recognize the dangers of prolonged firearm noise. In most developed countries, suppressors are recommended or even required for shooting sports.

Short-barreled rifles and shotguns, meanwhile, are functionally no more dangerous than their legal-length counterparts and are commonly used in civilian, military, and law enforcement settings.

By allowing unelected staff to kill these provisions without a vote, Congress has surrendered its constitutional duty. We demand transparency, accountability, and action:

👉 We call on:

Senate and House leadership to reinstate these provisions
Judiciary and tax committees to bring them forward for open debate
Every member of Congress to stand for public safety, fiscal sense, and the Second Amendment

It’s time to stop criminalizing responsible Americans over suppressors and barrel lengths. End the $200 gun tax. Restore the Hearing Protection Act and SHORT Act now.