A New Bill in Congress Aims to Block Mailing Handguns Through USPS
A new bill introduced in Congress seeks to prevent the U.S. Postal Service from allowing the mailing of handguns by individuals who are not federally licensed firearm dealers. This move comes in response to a recent opinion from the U.S. Department of Justice, which deemed the existing law banning such mailings as unconstitutional.
Representative Haley Stevens (D, MI-11) is leading the charge to reinstate the ban on mailing handguns, emphasizing that the Postal Service should not be able to override federal laws on its own. The Justice Department’s argument revolves around the Second Amendment rights of Americans and the limitations imposed by major shipping companies like FedEx and UPS, which do not allow handguns to be shipped to ordinary citizens.
The pushback against the ban on mailing handguns has also sparked legal action from gun rights groups, including the Gun Owners of America, who view the recent federal opinion as a positive step. However, they are advocating for a complete overturning of the law through the court system.
The proposed bill by Representative Stevens aims to block any potential rule changes by the Postal Service that would permit the mailing of handguns and ensure that such shipments are not unsupervised. The legislation has garnered support from anti-gun violence organizations like Brady: United Against Gun Violence, Giffords, and Everytown for Gun Safety, as well as some Democratic lawmakers in the House of Representatives.
Despite facing challenges in a Republican-controlled Congress, Representative Stevens remains optimistic about the possibility of bipartisan support for the bill. She points to past instances where a few Republicans crossed party lines to advance certain issues, indicating a potential pathway for the bill’s progression.
