Opinion
UPDATE: This article was originally based on multiple sources with claimed knowledge of internal House Ways and Means Committee discussions. Following publication, lobbyist Chris Cox contacted AmmoLand to dispute the reporting and provided a detailed denial, which is now included in full below. In light of this, the article and its title have been updated to reflect his response. AmmoLand News stands by its original sourcing but remains open to new information and correction as additional facts emerge.
The Hearing Protection Act (HPA) might be in trouble in the House Ways and Means Committee, and anti-gun lobbyists are NOT the ones holding it up.
David Kustoff (R-TN) has been actively pushing to lower the tax stamp to $5 from $200, which would be a welcome change, but the better alternative is to remove suppressors completely from the National Firearms Act of 1934 (NFA). That would eliminate the tax stamp fee and remove all other NFA requirements.
This option is the best option for gun owners, yet he is pushing the latter and is against the elimination of suppressors from the NFA.
Rep Kustoff’s constituents include a substantial percentage of gun owners. His push to keep suppressors on the NFA does not make sense unless outside forces are putting pressure on his office to lower the fee to $5 instead of completely removing them from the NFA. Anti-gun groups would be lobbying to keep the status quo, meaning the pressure is most likely coming from the pro-gun side. AmmoLand News has been provided with the name of the lobbyist pushing for a fee reduction instead of elimination from the NFA by our sources inside the House Ways and Means Committee.
It is a name that should be familiar to most in the gun rights community….
Heavy lobbying is being done by the former head of the National Rifle Association’s Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA), Chris Cox, a paid lobbyist. Cox is working to lower the tax stamp fee to $5 and keep suppressors on the NFA!
Cox has since strongly denied this claim and states he has never lobbied in support of any such measure.
The current NRA-ILA has pushed for the removal of suppressors from the NFA, and Cox’s actions are contrary to that stance. Mr. Cox no longer has any connections to the NRA. Mr. Cox has also lobbied for a gun company that produces suppressors, which has strongly advocated removing silencers from the NFA, and could make millions of dollars if the hearing protection item is delisted from the NFA.
It is unclear if Chris Cox is advocating for a specific client of his lobbying firm, Capitol 6 Advisors, or if this is a personal issue for him, but Cox seemed to back a rule banning bump stocks under Trump’s first term while heading the NRA-ILA.
“What we’ve said has been very clear: that if something transfers a semi-automatic to function like fully automatic, then those should be regulated as well,” said Chris Cox in a Fox News 2017 interview.
Fast forward to 2025, and a less friendly gun stance would not be out of the norm for Cox, who claims to be a freedom fighter.
The question AmmoLand News is asking is who, if anyone, is paying for the lobbying. AmmoLand News is getting close to that answer, but has not been able to get confirmation of the rumors we are hearing.
Eliminating suppressors from the NFA and reducing the tax fee could both appear as separate provisions in the final markup. If the bill passes the House, the Senate will determine which version to adopt if that happens. While this isn’t the ideal outcome, it’s far better than having the language removing suppressors from the NFA excluded entirely, leaving only the lesser $5 tax stamp option on the table.
Gun Owners still have time to pressure Kustoff and other House Ways and Means Committee members to include the original text of the HPA without the option of just lowering the tax stamp fee to $5. This HPA bill is the closest gun owners have ever been to dismantling part of the NFA. Lobbyists have a lot of power on the Hill, but gun owners have real power to vote those out who have bent the knee to special interests, and it is time these politicians hear from the Second Amendment Community that they need to do the right thing.
At this late date, phone calls are best.
Take Action:
Subject: Support the Full Hearing Protection Act – Remove Suppressors from the NFA
Dear Representative,
As a strong supporter of the Second Amendment, I urge you to support the original language of the Hearing Protection Act (HPA) and REMOVE suppressors entirely from the National Firearms Act of 1934—not just reduce the tax stamp to $5.
Gun owners don’t want a bargain on bad policy—we want real reform. Lowering the fee keeps suppressors under unnecessary and unconstitutional regulation. Removing them from the NFA is the right move for safety, freedom, and common sense.
Please stand with gun owners, not lobbyists. Support the full Hearing Protection Act and remove suppressors from the NFA.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
[Your Full Name]
[City, State]
Ways and Means Committee Contact Information:
Ways and Means Committee
U.S. House of Representatives
1102 Longworth House Office Building
Washington D.C. 20515
Phone:(202) 225-3625
Fax: (202) 225-5680
AmmoLand News reached out to Rep Kustoff’s office for comment, but has not received a response.
Editor’s Note:
After publication of this article, lobbyist Chris W. Cox, President, Capitol 6 Advisors (CAP6), contacted AmmoLand News to dispute a specific claim made by our sources. Mr. Cox stated unequivocally that he has NOT lobbied for any version of the Hearing Protection Act (HPA) that retains suppressors under the National Firearms Act (NFA), nor has he supported the proposed $5 tax stamp alternative. He further asserted that he has NEVER lobbied against the HPA.
From the email exchange:
“According to the story, an “anonymous source” has suggested I’m lobbying against the Hearing Protection Act (HPA) and, specifically, its inclusion in the upcoming budget reconciliation package. That is a lie. I have never, would never and will never lobby Members of Congress against HPA. I believe the rules regarding the ownership and possession of suppressors are onerous and inconsistent with the Second Amendment. Registration, fingerprinting, waiting periods and poll taxes should not apply to a fundamental, Constitutional freedom. After spending years successfully passing state legislation legalizing the ownership and possession of suppressors, hunting with suppressors, manufacturing of suppressors, etc., I worked with Congress to help draft HPA and have supported it since it was first introduced in 2015. I hope this clarifies the false statements made in the story regarding my position on HPA. ~ Yours in Freedom, Chris W. Cox.”
“To clarify for our readers:
Have you lobbied in support of the $5 tax stamp language or any version of the HPA that does not include full removal of suppressors from the NFA? ~ Fredy Riehl.
To be clear, the answer to your question is “no”.”
“The story includes the following:
“Heavy lobbying is being done by the former head of the National Rifle Association’s Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA), Chris Cox, a paid lobbyist. Cox is working to lower the tax stamp fee to $5 and keep suppressors on the NFA!
This statement is false. I have not lobbied a single office in support of this proposal/alternative” ~ Chris W. Cox.“
We include Mr. Cox’s response here in the interest of fairness and accuracy. AmmoLand News continues to stand by the substance of the original report, which was based on information provided by sources with direct knowledge of discussions within the House Ways and Means Committee.
We will update this article if additional information becomes available.
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About John Crump
John is an NRA instructor and a constitutional activist. John has written about firearms, interviewed people of all walks of life, and on the Constitution. John lives in Northern Virginia with his wife and sons and can be followed on Twitter at @crumpyss, or at www.crumpy.com.
The only problem with contacting the representative is they only accept communications from constituents. They screen your address. Only Tennessee’s 8th District Residents are welcome to reply. One of the disadvantages I see having several active gun rights organizations who do great work, I belong to 3 of them, is they don’t have the budgets to employ a full time lobbyist like the NRA does. Say what you may about the NRA, they still have the budgets and clout to shake things up on Capitol Hill. It seems to me there’s a workaround to this shortcoming. Like we see with… Read more »
Former or current NRA member, one more reason not to renew my membership which expires in July.
On another note, Tillis, Grassely and Cruz are behind a “gun safety” bill that is anything but. Scheming backstabbers!
Cox “seemed to back” yet another ban on citizens’ arms? Shocker! But not really. The dispicable, treasonous NRA has been negotiating rights away (nra) since they helped pass the unconstitutional NFA. They have supported every national gun control measure that Congress and presidents have passed, criminally infringing on the right to keep and bear arms. F the NRA.
The NFA is unconstitutional garbage. Citizens do not need to ask permission from the government, nor seek approval from anyone, nor pay a tax nor register their weapons. The government not only has no such authority to require any of that… the government was explicitly prohibited from having any power over our weapons.
Interesting old comment from Chris Cox,
https://waronguns.blogspot.com/search?q=Chris+Cox
Chris Cox, while NRA ILA boss also pushed for red flag laws.