In the closely divided U.S. Senate, Montana is one of the states to watch. As this was being written, in Montana, the RealClearPolitics average had Tim Sheehy (R) up 1.5 points in polling over incumbent Sen. Jon Tester (D), but this was in the margin for error in the polling. As this is one of the races that could decide whether the balance of power shifts toward or away from our Second-Amendment protected freedom, we asked Montana’s other senator, Steve Daines (R), who, as you’ll see, is and has been on freedom’s side in just about every legislative battle in recent memory, about the 2024 election and what can be done to stop infringements on our rights and to enhance our freedom.
A1F: Can you put in perspective how important this November’s election is to our Second Amendment freedom?
Daines: The choice could not be clearer. Donald Trump protected our Second Amendment freedoms when he was president; Kamala Harris, on the other hand, is a San Francisco liberal and anti-Second Amendment radical who has pledged to enact a so-called “gun-buyback program,” which we all know is forced confiscation of our firearms. We must reelect President Trump and a Republican pro-Second Amendment majority in the United States Senate this fall in order to hold the line against those who want to take away our Second Amendment freedoms.
“I have always fought to preserve the right to self-defense for law-abiding citizens and I will continue to do so in the Senate.” --Sen. Daines
A1F: In November of 2022, you were elected as the Chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee. Would you explain how you are working to maintain a pro-Second Amendment majority in the U.S. Senate?
Daines: We recruited a fresh slate of political outsiders who cherish the Second Amendment and will fight to defend it against far-Left radical Democrats and career politicians in Washington. We recruited many candidates who are gun owners themselves and served their country in their armed forces because they know firsthand how important it is to ensure our rights as gun owners are protected.
A1F: You describe yourself as a “lifelong sportsman” who is “committed to protecting the right to bear arms for law-abiding individuals.” During election season, gun-control advocates often try to separate hunters from other gun owners in a divide-and-conquer approach. How can sportsmen better unite and turn out to vote?
Daines: Nothing is more important than making sure all gun owners are protected and that means we need to partner with great organizations like the NRA to ensure that all gun owners know that their rights are under assault by the radical Left. They will stop at nothing to take away our right to keep and bear arms, whether it’s through Draconian regulation, passing laws or packing the U.S. Supreme Court with anti-Second Amendment justices. These facts must be communicated to every person in America who owns a firearm.
A1F: You led the way by introducing the “Firearm Industry Non-Discrimination Act” to stop the federal government from entering contracts with entities that promote anti-Second Amendment policies. Why is this legislation important?
Daines: The Second Amendment is unambiguous—the right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. When woke corporations choose to deny lawful businesses in the firearm industry essential services, they shouldn’t stand to benefit from hard-earned taxpayer dollars. I was proud to introduce the Firearm Industry Non-Discrimination Act to send a message to corporate executives who think they can infringe on Americans’ constitutional rights.
A1F: You introduced the “Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act” in the U.S. Senate. Will you keep fighting for this critical legislation in the next Congress?
Daines: Your Second Amendment right to carry a firearm to protect you and your family does not end at your state’s border. I have always fought to preserve the right to self-defense for law-abiding citizens and will continue to do so in the Senate.
A1F: You’ve said that attempts to ban popularly owned firearms and accessories are not constitutional or rational; you have argued that, instead of going down that freedom-infringing path, we need to “strictly enforce current laws forbidding potentially dangerous persons from possessing a firearm.” Why do debates in Congress often seem to only focus on the tools used, instead of stopping or preventing the criminal behavior?
Daines: Unfortunately, in Congress, it is easier to suggest restricting constitutional rights than to engage in a serious discussion of the real problems that cause violent crime to skyrocket. Regardless of the intentions of anti-gun politicians, I will never waver in my defense of the Second Amendment and our way of life in Montana.
A1F: You helped to introduce the “Repealing Illegal Freedom and Liberty Excises Act” (RIFLE). Can you tell us about this legislation?
Daines: The RIFLE Act would remove a burdensome tax imposed on firearms regulated under the 1934 National Firearms Act. This outdated and unnecessary tax acts as an undue financial burden on would-be gun owners. I am proud to work with my Senate Republican colleagues to eliminate this federal mandate.
A1F: You sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland opposing the Biden administration’s proposed rule that any citizen who sells a firearm for a profit to any person, including family, could be classified as a firearm “dealer” and be forced to get a federal license. What can be done in Congress to stop this use of government power over this individual right?
Daines: The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ “Engaged in the Business” rule ignores the law and threatens to turn tens of thousands of law-abiding citizens into criminals for exercising their constitutional rights. In the Senate, I have worked with my Republican colleagues to overturn this egregious rule. Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to abolish the Chevron doctrine, it is past time for Congress to rein in the excesses of the administrative state and to hold it accountable to the people and their elected representatives.
A1F: The Biden administration’s Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) declared that our Second Amendment freedom has triggered a “public-health emergency.” Their remedy to this declared emergency is, of course, to impose yet more gun-control laws. What are you doing (or can you do) to prevent this political weaponization of HHS?
Daines: Regardless of how confused the Biden-Harris administration may be, the Constitution is clear. Unfortunately, Washington bureaucrats will do anything to promote their gun-grabbing agenda, including abusing public-health emergencies. That is why I worked with my Senate Republican colleagues to introduce the Protecting the Right to Keep and Bear Arms Act, which would prevent the President and the Secretary of HHS from declaring a public-health emergency to impose gun control.
A1F: Biden administration officials in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) have moved to ban traditional ammunition on public lands. What can the U.S. Senate do to prevent this ban?
Daines: I have a bill that would prohibit federal agencies from banning the use of traditional lead ammunition or tackle on public lands.
The current prohibitions on the use of lead ammunition on certain National Wildlife Refuges is not based on site-specific scientific evidence. My bill would require agencies to make science-based decisions that recognize that sportsmen are the original conservationists and play an important role in wildlife conservation.
I will continue working with my colleagues in the Senate to ensure that this legislation is signed into law.
