Arkansas – Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin is urging Congress to repeal provisions of the National Firearms Act that he says violate Americans’ Second Amendment rights, joining attorneys general from 21 states in a push to eliminate the provisions nationwide.
Griffin announced the effort in a post on X, saying the “right to bear arms is central to our freedom” and calling on Congress to protect that right.
Griffin said he was co-leading a letter to congressional leaders seeking the repeal of NFA provisions that a federal district court recently found unconstitutional.
“The right to bear arms is central to our freedom, and I urge Congress to protect that right,” Griffin said. “Today, I’m co-leading a letter calling on Congress to repeal provisions of the National Firearms Act that a federal district court found unconstitutional and to ensure that no citizen is subject to these unconstitutional provisions.”
Griffin said he was proud to lead the effort alongside Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
The letter was sent to House Speaker Mike Johnson, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.
The attorneys general pointed to the federal district court’s decision in Silencer Shop Foundation v. ATF, which Griffin said correctly determined that certain provisions of the National Firearms Act exceeded Congress’ taxing power and were therefore unconstitutional.
The attorneys general noted that the ruling did not remove those provisions from federal law or prevent their enforcement against everyone. Instead, the court’s injunction applied to certain parties covered by the case.
Griffin and the other attorneys general argued that Congress should repeal the provisions entirely so that they cannot be enforced against any citizen.
The letter specifically addressed NFA requirements involving certain firearms, including silencers, short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns and “any other weapons.” The attorneys general argued that the requirements had been justified through the federal government’s taxing authority.
They also pointed to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025, which reduced the NFA tax on regulated firearms other than machine guns and destructive devices to zero.
According to the attorneys general, the federal court found that without revenue generation, the regulatory requirements tied to those firearms could not be sustained under Congress’ taxing power.
Griffin argued that leaving the provisions on the books could continue to create an enforcement threat for some Americans despite the court ruling.
“Today, we urge Congress to repeal those provisions so they cannot be enforced against anyone,” Griffin said.
The letter was also signed by attorneys general from Alabama, Alaska, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, West Virginia and Wyoming.
The coalition is asking Congress to take up the issue and repeal the provisions at the center of the federal court ruling, arguing that doing so would create clear and uniform rules nationwide.