East Idaho Times

U.S. Senators Mike Crapo, Jim Risch, and Mike Lee have united in calling out the U.S. Department of Commerce for its prolonged pause on issuing new export licenses for American firearms manufacturers. In a joint letter to the Biden Administration, the Senators expressed their concerns over the financial impact this pause has had on businesses without providing significant security benefits.

"90 days have now passed and the Commerce Department’s pause remains in full effect. The decision to keep the pause in place was never formally communicated to the businesses impacted by the decision, leaving the industry in a state of continued paralysis," wrote the Senators in their letter.

The Senators also raised apprehensions about the intentions behind the extended pause, suggesting that it may be a strategy to introduce overly burdensome regulations without proper oversight. They expressed worries that the new regulatory regime might be implemented without adequate input from Congress and the industry.

Joining Crapo, Risch, and Lee in this effort are Senators Steve Daines, Kevin Cramer, Rick Scott, Tom Cotton, Mike Braun, Bill Cassidy, John Barrasso, Pete Ricketts, and Markwayne Mullin, all from the Republican party.

The Commerce Department's decision to maintain the pause on new export licenses for gun manufacturers has attracted criticism from lawmakers who believe that the move has been detrimental to businesses without clear justifications for national security.

The Senators are calling for transparency and clarity from the Commerce Department regarding the timeline for lifting the pause and the potential new regulatory measures that could impact the firearms industry.