Democratic Lawmakers Propose Raising National Firearms Act Tax to Fund Healthcare

The elimination of the NFA tax on Silencers, Short-barreled Rifles (SBR), Short-barreled Shotguns (SBS), and Any Other Weapons (AOWs) will take effect when the clock strikes midnight on January 1^st.  This will mark the first time in nearly 100 years that gun owners will see relief on commonly owned items that have be burdensomely regulated here in the U.S.  However, the maneuvers utilized in the “Big Beautiful Bill” do come at a cost.  They provide a blueprint to manipulate taxes without outright eliminating them.

              The tools that the Republican Trifecta in the House, Senate, and White House used to accomplish this left the base law of the National Firearms Act (NFA) in place while just reducing the tax to $0.  This means that all a different administration would have to do is raise those taxes in a future Omnibus Bill in the same manner that was used to reduce them.

              This is something that organizations like National Association for Gun Rights (NAGR) tried hard to raise issue with.  The goal of Gun Rights Groups was to eliminate, at least as it pertains to the above listed items, the NFA in its entirety.  The reason for this is to shield against future tax manipulation that would price out the general public from these items.  This is precisely what the base law of the NFA was designed to do. 

              In 1934 when it was enacted, it was done so to apply Congress’ power of taxation on types of weaponry the government deemed “dangerous”.   This was born out of the violence of the 1920’s and 1930’s, but it doesn’t take much to see that the intended effect had little change in criminality.  $200 in 1934 was nearly an insurmountable sum which the average American could never attempt to obtain.  We have only arrived at this point due to government spending and inflationary cycles that have deemed $200 an insignificant amount.

              While 2026 is an election year and changes to the tax will not likely come until the end of this administration at the earliest, some Democratic officials are already signaling their intent to raise the fee on NFA items to an insurmountable amount. Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.) and a cadre blue-state senators such as Angela Brooks (D-Md.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) have put together a Bill that would do just that and appropriate the taxation towards Medicare.

              This Bill likely will be dead upon arrival in this Congress, there is no guarantees, however, when it comes to future bills.  This is what gun owners must guard against as it pertains to future firearm rights.  This is also why gun owners have expressed frustration with this administration.  The National Firearms Act is irrelevant in the modern world.  Firearm innovation, advancement, and home building skill have rendered it useless and unenforceable.  All it does today is strip law abiding citizens of their rights while it is willfully ignored by criminals, and often not prosecuted against them when they are caught. 

              The NFA sits today just like it did 90 years ago, to disarm the mas populous at the expense of the criminal. 2026 and beyond will tell us if the group like that above will be effective in raising the NFA tax.  As gun owners, we need to push this administration, and most importantly support those who fight for our rights.  Several groups are currently suing the NFA over the fact it violates Supreme Court precedent now that the tax is $0. 

              This is becoming increasingly pressing as we see anti-gun groups and elected officials signal how they are coming for our rights.  We need to ensure that the wins we do get, are codified in law and court rulings.  This will help shield against future tyranny, but the fight will always continue.  It is rare to live in a time where the results of actions can be clearly pointed out.  Disarmament has always been done in the guise of “safety”.  It has never ended that way, however.

One doesn’t have to look far to see what comes after disarmament.  One only needs to look to our neighbors to the North, or across the pond to the U.K. or Europe to see what happens.  George Orwell’s 1984 is being played out in real-time.  How often are we seeing mass casualty events in Europe where it takes extended periods of time for police to arrive?  Or when we see average citizens thrown in prison for posting things on the Internet? We are, unfortunately, starting to see it creep in here in the U.S. where courts rule against parents for taking their kids to church.

              All these things are warning signs of what is to come.  Orwell wrote his novel is a warning that too many did not heed.  Our only defense is an armed populace.  We have unfortunately allowed that populace to be whittled down to a smaller and smaller subsect of society.  We have lost the respect we had for firearms and what they were intended for, preservation of our freedoms.

Our Founding Fathers understood that we needed government otherwise we would have mass anarchy.  They also understood that governments, very nature, was the mass collection of power over time.  They did their best to hedge against that be enshrining our right to defend ourselves against that very tyranny they pledged their sacred honor and lives against. 

This is the American birthright and as Ronald Reagan said it is never more than a generation away from being lost.  Our hope here at 2 If By Sea Tactical is that there will be a new generation of fighters. Ones that will continue to press on and preserve our freedoms against what is coming.

Here at 2 If By Sea Tactical we strive to bring you the best experience in the firearms world.  As we continue to grow the media arm of 2 If By Sea, make sure you keep tuning in to our Youtube Channel @2ifbyseatactical and right here at “The Patriot’s Almanac” to stay informed on the latest happenings in the firearm world! But we are not lawyers, so this isn't legal guidance.

Stay sharp, stay informed, and stay ready.