Heinrich Statement on Supreme Court’s Pro-Death Bump Stock Ruling
Ruling to overturn Trump-era federal ban on “bump stocks” reinforces the need for Heinrich’s gun safety legislation
WASHINGTON – Following the 6 to 3 ruling by the Supreme Court to overturn a federal ban on “bump stocks” that allow semi-automatic firearms to increase their rate of fire and effectively operate as fully automatic weapons, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) released the following statement, calling on Congress to take up and pass his bipartisan, bicameral legislation to outlaw these dangerous devices:
“After hundreds of Americans had gunfire rain down on them at an outdoor music festival in 2017, I led the effort to ban bump stocks – the device that allowed the gunman to murder and injure so many people, so quickly. Even former President Trump agreed then, heeding my calls to ban bump stocks in a federal rule.
“Today’s pro-death decision from an out of touch Supreme Court majority just made bump stocks legal again. Innocent Americans will die because of this decision.
“Bump stocks serve no legitimate purpose. Congress must act NOW to pass my legislation to ban these deadly devices once and for all.”
Heinrich has introduced multiple bills to ban bump stocks and keep Americans safe from gun violence, while safeguarding Americans’ constitutional right to own a firearm for legitimate self-defense, hunting, and sporting purposes.
Last June, Heinrich and U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) introduced the Banning Unlawful Machinegun Parts (BUMP) Act.
The BUMP Act prohibits the sale of bump stocks and other devices that allow semi-automatic firearms to increase their rate of fire and effectively operate as fully automatic weapons. U.S. Representative Dina Titus (D-Nev.) introduced companion legislation in the House.
Heinrich, Cortez Masto, and former Senator Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) initially introduced the BUMP Act in the 115th Congress, prior to the Trump administration’s enactment of the ban on bump stocks in 2018. Collins also cosponsored that legislation. The BUMP Act has been endorsed by numerous gun safety organizations, including Everytown for Gun Safety, GIFFORDS, Brady, March for Our Lives, Newtown Action Alliance, March Fourth, Violence Policy Center, and New Mexicans to Prevent Gun Violence.
Last November, Heinrich introduced the Gas-Operated Semi-Automatic Firearms Exclusion (GOSAFE) Act, legislation to protect communities from gun violence, while safeguarding Americans’ constitutional right to own a firearm for legitimate self-defense, hunting, and sporting purposes. In addition to regulating the sale, transfer, and manufacture of gas-operated semi-automatic weapons, Heinrich’s GOSAFE Act would prevent unlawful modifications of permissible firearms, including bump stocks.
Heinrich introduced the GOSAFE Act in the Senate alongside U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), and Michael Bennet (D-Colo.). The GOSAFE Act is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.). Earlier this month, Heinrich announced that his GOSAFE Act has been introduced in the House by U.S. Representative Lucy McBath (D-Ga.).
Additional background on Heinrich's leadership to tackle gun violence:
Last month, Heinrich announced over $1 million he secured in the FY24 Appropriations Bills to purchase new National Integrated Ballistics Information Network (NIBIN) ballistics testing machines for law enforcement agencies in Las Cruces, Farmington, Gallup, and Roswell. The intelligence gathered by these machines will go to the New Mexico Attorney General’s Crime Gun Intelligence Center where dedicated and trained analysts will use the information to trace and network firearms used in crimes across the state. The Center will then be able to feed that information back to law enforcement agencies to improve identification of suspects and support successful prosecutions.
In March, in the FY24 Appropriations Bills, Heinrich also secured language directing the expanded use of NIBIN for state and local agencies in the Southwest Border region.
In July 2023, Heinrich cosponsored the bicameral Ghost Guns and Untraceable Firearms Act, legislation to require online and other sellers of gun-making kits to comply with federal firearm safety regulations.
Heinrich was also a member of the core bipartisan group that negotiated the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act— the first significant federal gun safety legislation to become law in 30 years— specifically leading the successful effort to increase criminal penalties for straw purchases and stop illegal gun trafficking out of our country.
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