Congressman JOE Morelle Demands Answers on Trump GUN Safety Rollbacks

Image May 19, 2026 Press Release Leads fellow lawmakers in raising concerns about proposed ATF changes that could weaken background checks and undermine public safety (Washington, D.C.)—Today, Congressman Joe Morelle announced he led a group of more than 90 of his colleagues in demanding answers from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) after the Trump Administration announced plans to roll back dozens of federal gun safety regulations. “The American people deserve a government focused on protecting communities and preventing gun violence, not rolling back commonsense measures that help keep families safe,” said Congressman Joe Morelle . “These proposed changes could make it easier for dangerous weapons to end up in the wrong hands while making it harder for law enforcement to do their jobs. At a time when families across the country continue to face the devastating impact of gun violence, moving backward on public safety is the wrong approach.” "After years of successfully combatting gun violence at historic levels in cities throughout this country, President Trump’s efforts to undermine that success will put lives at risk,” said Kris Brown, President of Brady . “The Trump administration's recently released rules are designed for one purpose, to allow the industry to sell more guns with less accountability, and will spur more violence after years of progress. Brady thanks Rep. Morelle and his colleagues for demanding answers from an administration that is prioritizing the interests of gun rights extremists and gun CEOs' pocketbooks over fighting crime and protect public safety." In a letter sent this morning, the lawmakers warned the proposed changes could weaken background check requirements, make it harder for law enforcement to trace firearms used in crimes, and increase the risk of illegal gun trafficking. Specifically, Morelle and his colleagues requested detailed answers from DOJ and ATF about the public safety impact of the proposed changes and urged the agencies to reconsider actions they say could undermine years of progress combatting gun violence. Their letter specifically raises concerns about proposals to rescind requirements for some firearm sellers to conduct background checks, repeal regulations on stabilizing braces, and reduce firearm record retention requirements that assist criminal investigations. The full letter can be found here . Members signing the letter include: Amo, Gabe; Auchincloss, Jake; Beatty, Joyce; Bell, Wesley; Bera, Ami; Beyer, Donald; Bonamici, Suzanne; Brownley, Julia; Brown, Shontel; Carbajal, Salud; Carson, André; Casten, Sean; Castor, Kathy; Chu, Judy; Cisneros, Gilbert; Craig, Angie; Crow, Jason; Davis, Danny; Dean, Madeleine; DeGette, Diana; DeLauro, Rosa; Deluzio, Christopher; DeSaulnier, Mark; Dexter, Maxine; Dingell, Debbie; Evans, Dwight; Fletcher, Lizzie; Foster, Bill; Foushee, Valerie; Frost, Maxwell; Garamendi, John; Garcia, Sylvia; Goldman, Daniel; Grijalva, Adelita; Hayes, Jahana; Houlahan, Chrissy; Huffman, Jared; Ivey, Glenn; Jackson, Jonathan; Johnson, Henry; Johnson, Julie; Kelly, Robin; Kennedy, Timothy; Khanna, Ro; Krishnamoorthi, Raja; Larson, John; Latimer, George; Lieu, Ted; Lynch, Stephen; Mannion, John; Matsui, Doris; McBath, Lucy; McBride, Sarah; McClellan, Jennifer; McCollum, Betty; McIver, LaMonica; Meng, Grace; Mfume, Kweisi; Min, Dave; Moore, Gwen; Morelle, Joseph; Morrison, Kelly; Moulton, Seth; Mrvan, Frank; Mullin, Kevin; Nadler, Jerrold; Norton, Eleanor; Olszewski, Johnny; Peters, Scott; Pettersen, Brittany; Pingree, Chellie; Quigley, Mike; Ryan, Patrick; Salinas, Andrea; Scanlon, Mary Gay; Schakowsky, Janice; Simon, Lateefah; Stansbury, Melanie; Stanton, Greg; Stevens, Haley; Subramanyam, Suhas; Thanedar, Shri; Thompson, Mike; Titus, Dina; Tokuda, Jill; Tonko, Paul; Torres, Ritchie; Trahan, Lori; Tran, Derek; Underwood, Lauren; Walkinshaw, James; Williams, Nikema; Wilson, Frederica ### Issues : Enacting Common Sense Gun Reform Uplifting Our Families