These bills place further legal burdens on law abiding citizens while failing to address the ways in which criminals actually obtain illegal firearms through theft and the use of "straw buyers."
Former Army Ranger Congressman Warren Davidson (R-OH) opposed both bills:
“These bills assume that we don’t already have background checks in the United States. Every commercial firearm transaction in the United States requires a background check. The bills make criminals out of law-abiding Americans and force all gun owners to go through government-licensed agents just to borrow a hunting rifle. The bill also creates a worrisome registry of firearm owners. This violates the privacy of Americans who wish to exercise their God-given rights. It’s an unconstitutional two-for-one attack on Americans' Second and Fourth Amendment rights.
“As a veteran, I’m dedicated to making sure America keeps its promises to veterans. We serve knowing we may be called upon to sacrifice everything. The very least Congress can do is fulfill America’s end of the bargain. In the age of COVID, veterans and their families deserve this reassurance.”
What is stopping the government from using this information in the future to further disarm Americans or place them under heightened scrutiny? These bills are an affront to liberty and to law abiding Americans across the country.”