Chairman Scott Statement on BIS Reversal of Biden Firearms Export Rule

Chairman Scott Statement on BIS Reversal of Biden Firearms Export Rule

Washington, D.C. - Senate Banking Committee Chairman Tim Scott (R-S.C.) released the following statement after the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) finalized its reversal of the Biden administration's firearms export controls rule.

"This reversal is a victory for commonsense oversight and for the American people. I am proud to have led the charge, alongside my Republican colleagues, to shine a light on this deeply misguided rule and press BIS to reverse course. From the start, I warned that President Biden's firearms export controls were nothing more than regulatory overreach designed to target a lawful American industry. The rule jeopardized good-paying U.S. manufacturing jobs, hurt small businesses, and gave foreign competitors like China and Russia an edge in global markets. Restoring fairness and predictability for U.S. firearms manufacturers will strengthen both our economy and our national security," said Chairman Scott.

BACKGROUND:

In October 2023, then-Ranking Member Scott and Senator Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.) pressed then-Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo over the Department's decision to create a new "Office of Embargoes and Human Rights" that threatened to politicize firearms export licensing.

In November 2023, then-Ranking Member Scott joined Senator Ted Budd (R-N.C.) and 44 other senators in a letter to then-Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo raising questions over the decision announced in October by the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) to pause for 90 days the issuance of export licenses for firearms, ammunition, and certain accessories to most overseas markets.

• The letter noted the impact this pause could have on U.S. commercial and economic interests. This pause, which extended over 180 days, had an estimated $250 million economic impact on U.S. manufacturers and exporters, according to the firearms and ammunition industry.

The Biden administration's firearms export controls rule, finalized in April 2024, imposed new restrictions and reporting requirements on U.S. commercial firearms exports, adding a presumption of denial for exports to certain countries and expanding export license review criteria to include additional foreign policy and end-use considerations.

In May 2024, then-Ranking Member Scott and Senator Hagerty led 21 colleagues in calling on the Biden administration to withdraw the firearms export controls rule.

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