Washington, D.C. — Gun Owners of America endorsed Representative Tracey Mann’s “Reining In Federal Licensing Enforcement Act (RIFLE ACT).” The bill is cosponsored by Reps. Clyde, Finstad, Downing, Ogles, Feenstra, Tiffany, Schmidt, Guthrie, Estes, and Tenney.
The RIFLE Act would protect Federal Firearm Licensees (FFLs) from being forced out of business by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives’ (ATF) overreaching directives.
The Biden administration has weaponized the ATF against gun stores with its “Zero Tolerance” policy, which revokes FFLs for minor technical errors—such as forgetting to dot an “i” or cross a “t.”
Internal policy documents obtained by Gun Owners of America (GOA) reveal that this policy unfairly targets gun dealers for harmless paperwork mistakes that pose no threat to public safety. In 2024, FFL revocations reached their highest levels in two decades, marking the third consecutive year of increased license terminations under what many see as a direct attack on the Second Amendment.
GOA has challenged this overreach in court through two lawsuits, forcing the ATF to back down both times. Both lawsuits provide clear evidence that their unconstitutional policy cannot withstand judicial scrutiny.
The best solution to this unlawful “Zero Tolerance” policy is the RIFLE Act, which would provide vital protections for gun dealers and ensure that minor paperwork errors are not weaponized to strip law-abiding Americans of their Second Amendment rights.
Erich Pratt, GOA’s Senior Vice President, issued the following statement:
“Gun Owners of America (GOA) has been leading the charge against the ATF’s overreach, taking the agency to court twice to expose its alarming ‘zero tolerance’ policy. Right now, ATF agents are actively shutting down gun stores and seizing out-of-business records, fueling fears of an illegal gun registry. This blatant abuse of power is a direct attack on the Second Amendment. Congress and the White House must act now by passing Rep. Mann’s bill to rein in this rogue agency and protect the rights of law-abiding Americans.”
Aidan Johnston, GOA’s Director of Federal Affairs, issued the following statement:
“ATF’s ‘zero tolerance’ policy is still in full effect, and there are agents in the field right now shutting down gun stores to obtain out-of-business records for the illegal gun registry. GOA has been at the forefront of the fight to unmask the ATF’s ‘zero tolerance’ policy with two lawsuits. We urge Congress and the White House to enact Rep. Mann’s bill to rein in this rogue federal agency’s attacks on the Second Amendment.”
GOA spokesmen are available for interviews. Gun Owners of America is a nonprofit grassroots lobbying organization dedicated to protecting the right to keep and bear arms without compromise. GOA represents over two million members and activists. For more information, visit GOA’s Press Center.
