Americans Will Pay the Price for ATF’s Dangerous Gun Rule Rollbacks with Their Lives, Says National Consumers League
Media Contact: Lisa McDonald, Vice President of Communications, 202-207-2829
Washington, DC – The National Consumers League (NCL) is offering a stark warning about the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)’s sweeping proposal to rollback 34 regulations governing the buying, selling, and owning firearms.
While the ATF claims these rule changes will reduce “burdens on law abiding gun owners,” NCL cautions that overhauling regulations meant to protect the American public — including one loosening restrictions on individuals deemed mentally unfit to own firearms — could have catastrophic consequences for an American society already devastated by gun violence.
“The ATF’s proposed rollbacks will gut years of bipartisan efforts to rein in the gun violence epidemic,” said Sally Greenberg, NCL CEO. “Todd Blanche and Donald Trump need to stop sacrificing the safety of the American people to appease the firearm industry.”
The stakes could not be higher. Gun violence has exploded in the 21st century. In 2024, firearms were the leading cause of death for children and teenagers, while 48% of women experiencing domestic violence reported being threatened, coerced, or harmed by firearms. In an advisory since removed from the Department of Health and Human Services website, former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy declared gun violence a national public health crisis, citing tens of thousands of annual deaths and nonfatal injuries from firearms.
“The ATF has acknowledged that these rollbacks could increase the risk of mass-casualty events, yet it is pressing forward anyway,” Greenberg added. “When regulators knowingly weaken safeguards that keep dangerous weapons out of the wrong hands, they are choosing the interests of the gun lobby over the lives of American families. That is reckless, indefensible, and a betrayal of the agency’s responsibility to protect public safety.”
Even the ATF recognizes the dangers associated with overhauling firearm regulations. In one proposed rule change, the ATF admits that deregulation could introduce “considerably greater (up to and including potential mass casualty events)” risks for Americans. Despite this explicit acknowledgment of public safety threats, the ATF is adamant in their efforts to steamroll existing regulations.
The American people are far ahead of policymakers on this issue. Common sense gun reforms are not a partisan issue — 88% of all Americans support gun regulations preventing individuals with mental illness from purchasing firearms, while 79% support raising the minimum age to purchase guns from 18 to 21.
As The Washington Post recently reported, killings involving family members and intimate partners now account for roughly one in five murders nationwide, a significant increase from just a few years ago. The article highlights a recurring pattern in many of these tragedies: escalating domestic conflict, relationship breakdowns, custody disputes, and other warning signs that precede lethal violence. These cases demonstrate why public policy must do more than react after a tragedy occurs. Sensible gun safety measures—including extreme risk protection orders, stronger domestic violence firearm prohibitions, and mechanisms for temporarily restricting firearm access during periods of acute crisis—can provide critical intervention opportunities when warning signs emerge. As domestic killings become a larger share of violent deaths, lawmakers should view these preventable tragedies as evidence that stronger firearm regulations are a necessary component of public safety.
For more than a century, NCL has fought to protect consumers, families, and communities from preventable harm and has championed efforts to enact bipartisan, comprehensive firearm regulation legislation. NCL urges the ATF to reverse course on the proposed rule changes and ensure that every American feel safe at home and in the workplace, and our children are safe at school. Public health and safety must not become collateral damage in a political campaign to weaken gun laws.
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About the National Consumers League (NCL)
The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.
