Bidenomics: Bill Would Add $5,000 Federal Tax to $500 AR-15
By Chris Eger. Aug 8, 2023
Democrats in Congress last week quietly introduced a plan to prohibitively tax ownership of popular semi-auto firearms and magazines.
U.S. Rep. Don "Doug" Beyer, a Democrat from Virginia, allied with 24 partisan co-sponsors largely hailing from blue states, introduced H.R.5135 on Aug. 4. While the text of the proposal isn't available, the title "To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to impose an additional 1,000 percent excise tax on the sale of large capacity ammunition feeding devices and semiautomatic assault weapons, and for other purposes," leaves little to the imagination.
Such a move would bump the base price of an entry-model AR, such as a Diamondback DB15, Ruger AR556, or S&W M&P15, from about $650 to $7,150 – a figure that would still be subject to state and local taxes. More top-shelf models would have a price that approaches $20,000. Likewise, the price of a basic magazine such as a Magpul PMAG would jump from $14 to over $150.
Beyer introduced a similar bill last session, his "Assault Weapons Excise Act," which had 41 co-sponsors, all Democrats. Under that measure, the definition of what would have qualified as an "assault weapon" under the act would be a centerfire semi-auto rifle, shotgun, or pistol that can accept a detachable magazine and has any one of a list of standard features.
- Disqualifying features that would cross the "assault weapon" line for rifles would be a pistol grip, forward grip, an adjustable stock, a barrel shroud, or a threaded barrel.
- Pistols that have a buffer tube, threaded barrel, stabilizing brace, a weight of 50 ounces or more, can accept a magazine anywhere other than the grip, or a barrel shroud, would likewise be covered.
- When it comes to shotguns, any with a fixed magazine capable of holding more than five shells and a pistol grip or bird's head grip, the ability to accept a detachable magazine, or such unserious features as "a functional grenade launcher," would be classified as an assault weapon. Last June, when Beyer first proposed his huge tax increase, he said specifically that the bill could be made law through the simple end-run past a Senate filibuster via the means of budget reconciliation.
H.R.5135 has been referred to the House Ways and Means committee, which has responsibility for raising the revenue to finance the Federal Government, often via the reconciliation process.
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