Dem Push Steep Federal Gun Tax Hike

This week congressional Democrats will introduce a bill to impose a steep federal tax hike on firearms and ammunition. The bill, to be introduced by Representative Danny Davis (D-Illinois), roughly doubles the federal tax on firearms and nearly quintuples the federal tax on ammunition.

As reported by the Chicago Sun-Times:

U.S. Rep. Danny Davis, joined by Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Chris Kennedy, announced Sunday he plans to introduce a bill this week that would raise federal taxes on the purchase of guns and ammunition.

The Gun Violence Prevention and Safe Communities Act would increase federal excise taxes on shells and cartridges from 11 percent to 50 percent. It also calls for an increase in taxes on the sale of pistols and revolvers from 10 percent to 20 percent.

Taxes on other firearms, including assault weapons, would rise from 11 percent to 20 percent under the legislation Davis said he plans to introduce Tuesday.

Davis introduced a similar bill in 2015 with 12 co-sponsors, all Democrats. On Sunday, the Chicago-based congressman ramped up his anti-gun rhetoric:

“There’s no reason to have the ability for individual citizens to walk around with assault weapons,” Davis said, noting that a goal of the legislation is to make buying bullets for such weapons cost prohibitive.

Americans for Tax Reform opposes the bill. “Democrats are seeking to tax guns out of existence,” said Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform.

“Now that the GOP tax cut has benefited 90% of Americans, the one danger facing the Republican Congress is the ‘intensity gap.’ The Democrats have decided to solve this problem for Republicans by targeting gun owners and taxpayers in the same futile gesture: a threatened tax on guns.”

See also:

Newly Released Footage Shows Hillary’s 25% Gun Tax Endorsement

Hillary in 1993: Let’s Double the Gun Tax

$1,000 Gun Tax Pushed as “Role Model” for States