Explore The NRA Universe Of Websites

APPEARS IN Legal & Legislation

Obama's budget is a sneak attack on our Second Amendment freedoms

Friday, February 17, 2012

By Chris Cox, NRA-ILA Executive Director

Ever since taking office, President Barack Obama has tried desperately to convince gun owners and sportsmen that he supports the Second Amendment. But actions speak louder than words, and Obama’s latest budget proposal contains numerous sneak attacks aimed at the heart of our firearm freedoms.

For example, NRA members and gun owners fought hard for a law to ban government agencies like the Centers for Disease Control from using our tax dollars to produce blatant anti-gun propaganda. Obama wants to kill it in his budget.

We fought hard for a law to ban the Obama administration from spending our tax dollars on illegal schemes like Operation Fast and Furious, which funneled thousands of guns to violent Mexican drug cartels. Obama wants to kill it in his budget.

We fought hard to protect the Federal Flight Deck Officer program, which allows armed, trained commercial airline pilots to serve as the last line of defense should terrorists breach the cockpit and attempt another 9/11-style attack. Obama wants to slash the funding for this potentially life-saving program in half.

Perhaps he doesn’t have the money to protect airline passengers because he spent it all sending guns to Mexico.

We fought hard for a law that prevents the Obama White House from spending our tax dollars to ban shotguns and to stop historic and collectible firearms from being imported into the United States. Obama wants to kill both of these in his budget.

Obama’s budgetary assault on our gun rights doesn’t stop there. For years gun owners have been buying and recycling our military’s spent brass as a way to keep the cost of firearm ownership down. Not anymore. If Obama gets his way with the budget, all of this brass will be melted at taxpayers’ expense.

You have to ask yourself: If Obama is so serious about protecting our gun rights, what’s so wrong with stopping government agencies from using our tax dollars to attack our Second Amendment rights?

With innocent lives being cut short on both the U.S. and Mexican side of our border, why would Obama go out of his way to reject a ban on funding for illegal operations like Fast and Furious?

The answer is simple. Everything Barack Obama says about protecting the Second Amendment is a bald-faced lie. He will use every weapon at his disposal — including our hard-earned tax dollars — in his mission to destroy our Second Amendment freedoms.

The Second Amendment is America’s first freedom, because it’s the one freedom that guarantees all of our precious liberties. Barack Obama’s values have never been, and will never be, compatible with this freedom. His latest budget proposal proves it.

Chris W. Cox is the Executive Director of the National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA) and serves as the organization’s chief lobbyist.

This article first appeared in the Daily Caller: http://dailycaller.com/2012/02/17/obamas-budget-is-a-sneak-attack-on-our-second-amendment-freedoms/#ixzz1mzXPZgQJ

TRENDING NOW
Virginia: Anti-Gun Bills Headed to the Governor

News  

Sunday, March 8, 2026

Virginia: Anti-Gun Bills Headed to the Governor

As the 2026 General Assembly enters the final week of the 2026 legislative session, anti-gun lawmakers continue their push to radically change your Second Amendment rights in the Commonwealth. This week four anti-gun bills, SB ...

Senator Mike Lee Introduces National Constitutional Carry Act

News  

Friday, March 6, 2026

Senator Mike Lee Introduces National Constitutional Carry Act

Earlier this week, Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) introduced S. 4013, the National Constitutional Carry Act. This legislation would prohibit states from imposing any criminal or civil penalty on U.S. citizens for carrying a firearm in public. ...

Letitia James & Co. Sue to Bring Federal Gun Control Back from the Dead

News  

Monday, March 9, 2026

Letitia James & Co. Sue to Bring Federal Gun Control Back from the Dead

How times have changed. A little over a year ago, the most anti-Second Amendment President ever and his executive branch’s gun control agenda “had gun owners under siege on all fronts.” 

The Incremental Assault on the Second Amendment Continues in the States

News  

Monday, March 9, 2026

The Incremental Assault on the Second Amendment Continues in the States

State “assault weapons” ban legislation continues to gain traction in various jurisdictions this legislative session.

Virginia: Semi-Auto Ban Heads to Governor Spanberger's Desk

Monday, March 9, 2026

Virginia: Semi-Auto Ban Heads to Governor Spanberger's Desk

Yet another piece of anti-gun legislation has made it out of the General Assembly and is on its way to Governor Spanberger.

By George! Washington, D.C.’s Magazine Ban Invalidated by District’s Highest Court

News  

Monday, March 9, 2026

By George! Washington, D.C.’s Magazine Ban Invalidated by District’s Highest Court

Even as its formerly more liberty-loving neighbor, Virginia, goes down the tyrannical path of unconstitutional bans on firearms and magazines, residents of the nation’s capital last week gained a measure of relief from the District’s ...

Michigan: Constitutional Carry Legislation Introduced

Thursday, March 5, 2026

Michigan: Constitutional Carry Legislation Introduced

A package of pro-Second Amendment legislation has been introduced in the Michigan House. House Bills 5653–5657 would make Michigan the 30th state in the nation to recognize Constitutional Carry, allowing individuals who are legally permitted ...

Virginia: Gun Bill Updates As Crossover Deadline Arrives

Tuesday, February 17, 2026

Virginia: Gun Bill Updates As Crossover Deadline Arrives

Today, February 17th is the legislative crossover deadline in Virginia, and any bills that have not left their chamber of origin by the end of the day are considered dead for the session.

Oregon: Senate Passes Ballot Measure 114 Bill

Friday, March 6, 2026

Oregon: Senate Passes Ballot Measure 114 Bill

Yesterday, the Senate passed an amended House Bill 4145, now engrossed as HB 4145 B. It will now return to the House for concurrence as amended.

Supreme Court Holds Oral Arguments in Marijuana Related Firearm Prohibition Case

News  

Monday, March 9, 2026

Supreme Court Holds Oral Arguments in Marijuana Related Firearm Prohibition Case

On March 2, the U.S. Supreme Court held oral arguments in U.S. v Hemani, a case concerning the federal firearm prohibition on marijuana users. 

MORE TRENDING +
LESS TRENDING -

More Like This From Around The NRA

NRA ILA

Established in 1975, the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is the "lobbying" arm of the National Rifle Association of America. ILA is responsible for preserving the right of all law-abiding individuals in the legislative, political, and legal arenas, to purchase, possess and use firearms for legitimate purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.