Reports of a “backdoor” national firearms registry have been a big concern for gun-rights organizations and pro-gun federal lawmakers for several years. Now, a news report at Reason.com not only confirms the secret registry created with firearms transaction records accumulated by the ATF from firearm retailers who have gone out of business, but explains how Republican lawmakers have been seeking answers for nearly a year.
According to the report, the registry is made up of a “digital trove of hundreds of millions—possibly over a billion—firearm transaction records that the agency has digitized from former dealer files.”
On February 3, U.S. Rep. Michael Cloud, R-Texas, posted on X that lawmakers had sent yet another letter to the ATF demanding answers about the illegal registry.
“ATF’s illegal database potentially holds over 1 billion gun registry records, which is a violation of federal law and the Second Amendment,” Rep. Cloud posted. “They have stonewalled Congress for 290-plus days; it’s past time to deliver answers.”
The letter, addressed to Deputy Director Robert Cekada and signed by Rep. Cloud and 27 other lawmakers, explained how lawmakers had been waiting a long time for answers and were running out of patience.
“18 members of Congress first submitted our inquiry on this matter to ATF over 290 days ago on February 14, 2025, and have not been given a response,” Rep. Cloud wrote in the letter. “Therefore, we strongly urge an urgent response by February 10th, 2026.”
As Rep. Cloud explained, the giant database is illegal under a federal law that prohibits a federal gun registry.
“We fear that ATF could have as many as 1.1-billion-gun registration records in its database, if ATF has continued with this historic pace and digitalized an average of 50 million firearm transaction records per year,” Rep. Cloud wrote. “This is a violation of the federal prohibition on gun registration at 18 U.S.C. 926(a)(3) which clearly states: ‘No such rule or regulation prescribed after the date of the enactment of the Firearms Owners’ Protection Act may require that records required to be maintained under this chapter or any portion of the contents of such records, be recorded at or transferred to a facility owned, managed, or controlled by the United States or any State or any political subdivision thereof, nor that any system of registration of firearms, firearms owners, or firearms transactions or dispositions be established.’”
Ultimately, Rep. Cloud wrote that because of the immense gravity of the situation and potential violation of federal law, he and other lawmakers are “troubled” by the ATF’s lack of response to earlier investigative inquiries.”
“Your continued refusal to provide basic information raises serious questions about whether the ATF—despite changes in leadership and stated priorities—remains in compliance with several congressional appropriations restrictions, a federal statute and the Second and Fourteenth Amendments,” Rep. Cloud concluded. “Congress needs current information in order to inform its funding decisions. Once again, we write to receive an immediate update on ‘the total number of Out-of-Business Records the OBR Center is currently maintaining, including digital and hard copy record estimates’ and all other questions included in our letter sent February 14th, 2025.”
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