Congressman Cohen Condemns Supreme Court's Bump Stock Ruling, Urges Congressional Action

WASHINGTON, DC — Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) issued the following statement today in response to the U.S. Supreme Court's decision striking down the nationwide ban on bump stocks for firearms instituted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) under the Trump Administration. The ban was originally enacted following the tragic mass shooting in Las Vegas, NV, where a bump stock was used.

"Today's Supreme Court decision is out-of-touch with the reality of gun violence in America,” said Congressman Cohen. “At best, this ruling puts legal semantics and pseudo-engineering over the lives of Americans. MAGA Republicans, in concert with this radical court, are creating a dangerous reality where anyone can walk around with an AR-15, capable of firing hundreds of rounds per minute, even without a permit. What could possibly go wrong? 

“If the Supreme Court doesn’t understand Congress’s intent—that we do not want machine guns on American streets—then Congress must act. The ATF’s bump stock ban was originally enacted by the Trump Administration, proving that banning these devices should not be a partisan issue. There should be nothing stopping us from codifying a ban on bump stocks and other deadly firearm accessories into law, and that’s exactly what I intend to pursue.”

Congressman Cohen has long supported a nationwide ban on bump stocks. This year, he was among the first co-sponsors of the Closing the Bump Stock Loophole Act (H.R. 396). Introduced by Congresswoman Dina Titus (NV-1) of Las Vegas, the bill would subject bump stocks to regulation under federal firearms laws.

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