BELLEVUE, Wash. — May 21, 2025 — In a letter sent to House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune today, the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF), along with its partners, encouraged Congress to remove suppressors from the National Firearms Act (NFA) by amending the reconciliation bill.
The letter asks that Section 2 of the Hearing Protection Act (HPA) be added to the current bill, which if included and passed, would then treat silencers like long guns in terms of purchase, sale and manufacture. Purchasers would still be required to pass a background check, just like when buying a firearm from a Federal Firearms Licensee.
“The additional requirements under the National Firearms Act continue to impose a repugnant registration scheme, unnecessary barriers and waiting times for individuals seeking to acquire silencers,” said SAF Executive Director Adam Kraut. “Amending the reconciliation bill to include Section 2 of the HPA has the potential to make the shooting experience safer and more pleasurable for anyone who enjoys hunting or going to the range.”
Likening silencers to automotive mufflers, the letter states: “…suppressors are designed to protect hearing, reduce noise pollution, and help us all be good stewards of the environment.”
“For more than 50 years, SAF has worked to defend, secure and restore Second Amendment freedoms for all Americans,” said SAF founder and Executive Vice President Alan M. Gottlieb. “Removing the barriers for law-abiding citizens to acquire suppressors is one more step to expanding our 2A freedoms, and we hope Congress will act to remove silencers from the NFA once and for all.”
