Contact:
Daniel Tellez
202-225-6611
daniel.tellez@mail.house.gov
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman Fulcher released the following statement on H.R. 8167, the RETURN Act:
I am an original cosponsor on H.R. 8167, the RETURN Act, which eliminates the excise tax on firearms and ammunition.
Traditionally, the revenue from this tax is allocated to a fund established by the Pittman-Robertson Act for hunter education and conservation projects. However, recent Democratic proposals — including one to place a 1,000% tax on semi-automatic weapons — would have a deeply negative effect on the sales of these weapons, and as a result, the funding for the Pittman-Robertson programs. The RETURN Act recognizes this and remedies that by having funding come from revenue generated by energy development on federal land and waters instead.
By eliminating this punitive tax on gun owners and securing a new funding source for programs important to sportsmen and conservationists, we seek to affirm not only the 2nd Amendment but our duty to be responsible stewards of our resources.
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