U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and 12 other Democratic senators are pressing the Justice Department to appeal a federal court ruling that struck down regulatory requirements for certain weapons under the National Firearms Act.
The senators said the department declined to seek immediate appellate relief after a federal judge in Texas found portions of the 1934 law unconstitutional. The court temporarily stayed its order to give the government time to respond, but the injunction later took effect.
The National Firearms Act imposes additional registration and regulatory requirements on certain concealable weapons. The lawmakers said the ruling has allowed some weapons to be bought and sold outside that framework for the first time in nearly a century.
In a letter to Attorney General Todd Blanche, the senators asked the department to explain why it did not seek an immediate stay and urged officials to appeal the decision.
They argued that the Justice Department has a longstanding duty to defend federal laws whenever a reasonable constitutional argument can be made. They also cited Blanche's statements during his confirmation process supporting that principle.
Gillibrand said the administration should be strengthening efforts to prevent gun violence and accused it of yielding to pressure from gun-rights advocates.
The letter alleged that lobbying by gun-rights groups and Republican lawmakers contributed to the department's decision. The Justice Department's response was not included in Gillibrand's release.
Gillibrand previously sponsored an interstate gun-trafficking ban that became law through the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. Her office said the law has been linked to the recovery of more than 6,000 firearms.
Other signers included Sens. Dick Durbin, Angela Alsobrooks, Richard Blumenthal, Cory Booker, Tim Kaine, Mark Kelly, Alex Padilla, Jack Reed, Adam Schiff, Chris Van Hollen, Elizabeth Warren and Peter Welch.
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