Supreme Court Ruling Threatens To Kill Biden Gun Reforms

The case was a major blow to federal agencies — and it leaves ATF rules vulnerable to legal challenge.

The Supreme Court’s ruling overturning the long-standing “Chevron doctrine” on Friday dealt a major blow to the power of federal agencies.

It came as welcome news to gun rights groups.

The Biden administration managed to pass a modest gun reform bill two years ago called the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. That law strengthened federal funding for violence prevention, helped fund the implementation of red flag laws, and took steps to close the so-called “boyfriend loophole” that had allowed offenders to avoid losing their gun rights after convictions of domestic abuse crimes against dating partners.

But facing Republican opposition in Congress to more sweeping reform proposals, the White House has also used the rulemaking authority of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to pursue two other gun safety measures.

Last year, the ATF reclassified guns equipped with pistol braces as short-barreled rifles under the National Firearms Act of 1934 after they were used in multiple mass shootings. The devices do not alter the destructive capacity of a pistol, though they can make them easier to aim.