A Rushed, 900 Plus Page Monster No One Has Really Read
Late Saturday night, the Senate voted 51–49 to begin debate on the 940 page One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Lawmakers had released the text only hours earlier. As a result, Democrats demanded that clerks read the entire Senate “Big Beautiful Bill” aloud so Americans could hear it. Conservatives, however, stress that major bills should be short, clear, and open to real debate. Rushing a phone book bill toward a July 4 vote erodes transparency and, therefore, trust.
A Trillion Dollar Torpedo to Fiscal Conservatism
Even without gimmicks, the non-partisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget estimates the Senate draft would add about $3 trillion to the national debt over ten years, and closer to $5 trillion if the dozens of temporary tax breaks are inevitably extended. Every dollar of new debt strengthens the argument for future tax hikes, and history shows gun control advocates are happy to hitch anti gun riders to revenue bills. The Senate “Big Beautiful Bill” fiscal recklessness today makes tomorrow’s fight for 2A rights harder.
The Parliamentarian Gutted the Heart of the Pro Gun Reforms
Grass roots groups successfully inserted the Hearing Protection Act (HPA) and SHORT Act in the original House text, language that would have removed suppressors and most short barreled rifles and shotguns from the National Firearms Act once and for all. But in a behind the scenes ruling, the Senate parliamentarian threw both sections out as “non budgetary,” caving to anti gun pressure. What remains is a shell of the reform gun owners were promised.
A Token Tax Cut Without Real Freedom
Senators added a face saving tweak that zeros out the $200 transfer tax on suppressors and SBRs, yet the ATF registry, fingerprints, photos, year long wait times, and felony penalties all remain intact. In other words: you’ll pay less, but government still tracks you. True conservatives should not confuse a cheaper permission slip with liberty.
A Bureaucratic Shell Game at ATF
The Justice Department’s 2026 budget request would slash roughly 25% of ATF funding and fold what’s left into the DEA, a move critics say will bury firearms oversight inside an even larger bureaucracy and leave gun owners guessing which agency actually runs the NFA database. Consolidation without repeal risks less accountability, not more.
Unrelated Log Rolling Invites Future Anti Gun “Poison Pills”
Because the OBBBA is a reconciliation bill, only provisions ruled “fiscal” survive. That has already killed the clean 2A wins while leaving in hundreds of pages of carve outs, from biofuel subsidies to Medicaid rules, many of which can later be leveraged for gun control concessions. When Congress combines everything under the sun in a single must pass package, the Second Amendment is always one back room deal away from collateral damage.
Injunction Bonds—Gone, and They Must Stay Gone
Early drafts of the Senate “Big Beautiful Bill” slipped in a clause that required anyone seeking a court injunction against US government post a bond equal to projected revenue losses. In plain English, grassroots plaintiffs would have needed deep pockets just to protect their rights while a case moved forward. Thankfully, that bond language was deleted in committee. If it reappears in a last minute manager’s amendment, everyday Americans, and especially small, pro‑2A groups, would again face a pay‑to‑play barrier to the courthouse. Tell your senators that the bond requirement was a bad idea, and it must remain out of the final bill.
The Bottom Line
From a conservative, pro Second Amendment perspective, the Senate’s Big Beautiful Bill fails every basic test:
| Principle | How the BBB Fails |
|---|---|
| Limited, transparent government | Rushed 940 page text, minimal debate. |
| Fiscal restraint | Adds up to $5 trillion in new debt. |
| Concrete 2A gains | Core HPA/SHORT reforms stripped; only a token tax cut survives. |
| Reduced bureaucracy | Murky ATF into DEA merger could worsen accountability. |
What Gun Owners Can Do Next
- Call your Senators, especially Majority Leader John Thune and the three wavering GOP holdouts, and demand they restore the full HPA and SHORT Act before final passage.
A reliable, one stop place to look up all of your elected officials, and get their phone numbers, office addresses, and email/web form links, is the “Find and contact elected officials” tool on USA.gov. Just enter your ZIP code (or full street address for the most precise match) and the page will list:- Your two U.S. senators
- Your U.S. House member
- Your governor and state level legislators
- County, city, and other local offices, all with direct contact information
- Insist on single issue bills. Congress should vote on stand alone pro gun measures, not bury them under 900 pages of unrelated spending.
- Stay engaged after July 4. If leadership rams the current draft through, grassroots pressure will be crucial when the bill returns to the House.
Passing half measures today may feel like progress, but in practice it locks in federal registries, explodes the debt, and teaches leadership that gun owners will settle for crumbs. Conservatives should demand better, and the Senate still has time to deliver it.
Tip: Phone calls still carry the most weight on Capitol Hill, after you look up your reps, pick up the phone and tell the staffer briefly what issue you’re calling about.
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