6 Reasons the Hearing Protection Act May or May Not Pass

From the desk of eSilencers CEO, John Rich

Before we dive into this post, we at esilencers.com want to say that no matter if the Hearing Protection Act gets passed or not, the suppressor industry desperately needs your support to maintain its value for recreational activity in the industry. The more support we have, the better chance this could pass.  There are various ways to support the hearing protection act, but mainly by continuing purchasing Suppressors, and supporting places like the American Suppressor Association while we wait to see if Congress will act on this bill goes a long ways. Keep in mind; this bill is far from being a for-sure thing, and we address this in this blog.

Now, on to the article…

If you are at all familiar with Suppressors and the NFA process, you are probably well aware of the Hearing Protection Act implemented by Congressman Matt Salmon of Utah. If not, here is what the Hearing Protection Act (HPA) is:

The HPA is a sponsored proposed bill by 82  Congressmen to remove Suppressors from the NFA list and treat Suppressors just like regular Title 1 Firearms. Which basically means walk into a Gun Shop, fill out a 4473. Once approved, the Suppressor is yours. No tax stamp, no 6-8 months of waiting, no extra paperwork. No hassle. Sounds awesome right!? Well, as awesome as it would be, there are a lot of bridges to cross in order for this bill to pass.

Now as you are also aware of, we have a new President.  President Trump has vowed to change the Gun laws for the good. So, you might say “wow, this is awesome especially with the Republicans having complete control of Congress too.”

But you still have to ask the question. “Will this Act pass even with President Trump?”

3 Reasons Why The Hearing Protection May Not Pass

1 – The Senate needs 60 votes to approve for the bill to be voted on. And the Republicans only have 51. 52 if you count Vice President Pence. And even if the bill gets the 60 required votes, it still has to be voted on to be put into law. However, if the bill receives the required 60 votes, then it would be moved up the docket for the final vote to determine if It will become a law which only requires a simple majority which the Republicans have. But that’s a big if that all 52 Republicans will vote for this bill. However, just getting the required 60 votes initially to avoid a Democratic filibuster would be a significant step. Once the bill is approved, it will then move up to President Trump’s desk to be signed into law. However, the major hurdle is most definitely getting through the Senate. And until at least the midterm elections in 2 years, the Republicans simply just do not have enough votes to guarantee this bill will get passed. As it stands now, out of the 82 Congressman that are sponsoring the bill, only 2 are Democrats. Ouch!

2 – The Government will have a hard time giving up the $200 tax stamp. That revenue is quite a bit for our Government. About 75-80% is pure profit for the Government. It will take some convincing for them to want to give that up.

3 – The new administration will have a full plate of really important issues which includes repealing and replacing Obamacare, fixing our broken Immigration system, lowering the Corporate Tax rate, and many more. As far as priority’s, these issues rank higher than any Gun Reform.

3 Reasons Why The Hearing Protection Could Pass

1 – The bill could get attached to other pro-Gun bills like the reciprocal carry bill that has a great chance to pass. Making this bill much easier to pass if it is part of a package of other relevant Gun Bills.

2 – There is a lot of support out there for Suppressors that was not there 10 years ago, and there is a possibility that some Democrats would be in favor of it. Many including Politicians are beginning to realize the importance of using Suppressors like preserving our hearing and keep happy neighbors.

3 – Donald Trump Jr. is a big supporter of SilencerCO who is spearheading the bill. DJ Jr. visited Josh Waldron CEO of SilencerCO back in the Summer and was not silent on his support for this industry. He could very well be another voice in his dad’s ear who would more than likely sign the bill if it reached his father’s desk.

Note: You might think there is no reason to continue to purchase Suppressors since if this bill passes, you will not have to pay the $200 tax stamp. However, be aware that part of this bill is to reimburse the $200 for each Suppressor bought since October 2015 meaning that you will not lose anything by continuing purchasing Suppressors. Plus, this industry more than ever needs your support. The more support this industry has, the better chance this bill gets passed.

And there it is. 3 reasons why it might, or might not pass. We at esilencers.com will continue monitoring this bill in the coming months, and will keep you guys informed on any developments. In the meantime, we encourage you to continue supporting this industry, and check out our suppressors online at www.esilencers.com.