BILL: Should We Would Designate AR-15 the National Gun of the U.S. - AR–15 National Gun Act - H.R.1095

The Bill

H.R.1095 - AR–15 National Gun Act

Bill Status

• Introduced to the House by Rep. Barry Moore (R-Ala) on Feb. 17, 2023
• Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability on Feb. 17, 2023
• House: Not yet voted
• Senate: Not yet voted
• President: Not yet signed

Bill Overview

• The bill would designate the popular AR-15 rifle as the National Rifle of America.

What's in the Bill?

Dubs the AR-15 a national symbol

• If the proposal passes the GOP-controlled House and Democratic-controlled Senate, the AR-15 will become a formal national symbol, along with the American flag.

Acknowledges the place of the AR-15 in American life

• The AR-15 is a semiautomatic rifle used by hunters, competitors, and "Americans seeking home-defense guns," according to the National Shooting Sports Foundation.
•  A May 2022 report found 20 million AR-15 rifles are in circulation in the U.S.
• In total, Americans own around 393 million guns, which exceeds the national population of the U.S. 
• Alabama, Moore's home state, is ranked eighth in the country regarding the percentage of residents who own a gun, at 55.5%.

Reinforces Moore's pro-Second Amendment position

• With an "A" rating from the National Rifle Association, Rep. Moore strongly advocates for gun rights. He was one of 204 Republicans who voted against gun-law reforms in June 2022.

What Supporters are Saying

• At a conference at a local gun store in Troy, Alabama, Moore said:

"The anti-Second Amendment group won’t stop until they take away all your firearms. One rule to remember: any government that would take away one right would take away them all."

• On Twitter, he said:

"The Second Amendment is as American a right as freedom of speech, religion, and the press. Second Amendment rights are worth protecting and must not be infringed, and we must send a message that we will meet every attack on any of our constitutional rights."

What Opponents are Saying

• The federal affairs director for the gun-control advocacy group Giffords, Adzi Vokhiwa, said:

"There have already been more mass shootings than days in the year in 2023 and in 2021 nearly 50,000 Americans lost their lives in gun violence...This is egregious and reckless. We condemn this legislation and far-right politicians who value gun industry profits more than Americans' lives." 

How do you feel about the AR-15 being a proposed national symbol of America?

—Emma Kansiz