Following last week’s announcement that the Marlin Firearms Factory in North Haven (CT) was leaving the state and taking with it hundreds of jobs, the National Shooting Sports Foundation said it renewed earlier calls for Sens. Joseph Lieberman (D-Conn.) and Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) to co-sponsor bi-partisan legislation (S. 632) that would rectify a longstanding inequity in the collection of the firearms and ammunition excise tax (FAET).
Connecticut is the birthplace of Americas firearms industry and as such it is troubling that our senators continue to sit idly by while major employers in the state like Remington, Winchester and now Marlin leave, taking with them hundreds of well-paying jobs that Connecticut workers relied upon to support their families and pay taxes, said NSSF Senior Vice President and General Counsel Lawrence G. Keane. With the closing of Marlin Firearms, now would be a good time for both Connecticut senators to champion S. 632, bi-partisan, pro-growth and commonsense legislation.
NSSF estimates that just shifting to a quarterly payment schedule will free up approximately $22 million dollars annually for manufacturers to invest in new plants, equipment and product designs.
A financially strong and growing firearms and ammunition industry will generate greater excise tax revenues, continued Keane. This shift would help manufacturers remain competitive in an increasingly global economy. We urge Sen. Lieberman and Sen. Dodd to provide the leadership this state needs and co-sponsor this legislation.
S. 632 is sponsored by Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT), the chairman of the powerful senate finance committee, and has 18 co-sponsors. Its companion bill (H.R. 510) in the United States House of Representatives is being sponsored by Congressman Ron Kind (D-WI) and has 110 co-sponsors. Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) is the only member of the Connecticut delegation co-sponsoring the bill.
