House Judiciary Advances Bills on Gun Taxes and Prison Staffing

H.R. 2442 would block states from imposing excise taxes on firearms and ammunition. Gun rights groups including the Firearms Policy Coalition and the NRA have argued that limiting access to suppressors and short-barreled rifles is unconstitutional in light of recent Supreme Court Second Amendment decisions.

H.R. 9503, the Officer Leslie Coffelt U.S. Secret Service Police Act, would rename the U.S. Secret Service Uniformed Division, established in 1922, to better reflect officers' duties. Officer Leslie Coffelt died defending President Truman during an assassination attempt at Blair House in 1950 and remains the only U.S. Secret Service officer or agent to die while protecting a president.

The committee also considered H.R. 10335, which would change standards for who qualifies as a "prevailing party" eligible for attorney's fees in civil rights lawsuits. Under Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, the DOJ's Civil Rights Division lost about 75 percent of its attorneys by spring 2026. H.R. 9834 would deny entry to foreign officials who weaponize their governments to discriminate against American companies, using RICO-style racketeering statutes as a tool. On January 20, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order directing the Secretary of State to designate international cartels and transnational criminal organizations as Foreign Terrorist Organizations.

Leadership and Proceedings

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH-4), Chair of the House Judiciary Committee, presided over the markup. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD-8) serves as Ranking Member. Jordan made 24 statements during the hearing, while Raskin made eight. Rep. Michael Baumgartner made five statements.

Raskin submitted multiple documents into the record, including articles on ICE agent misconduct, trade policy tensions, and data security breaches. Rep. Glenn Grothman entered an American Federation of Goverment Employees (AFGE) article on BOP hiring and a press release on Alcatraz reopening. Rep. Michael Baumgartner submitted a 2011 White House Proclamation on UN Security Council Travel Bans and IEEPA Sanctions into the record during the markup.

Bills Advanced

H.R. 9503 received an amendment in the nature of a substitute that made a small change to the bill's title without altering its substance. The amendment was adopted, and the bill was ordered to be reported. The legislation has bipartisan co-sponsorship from Representatives Moskowitz, Rutherford, Gueston, and Case. The Fraternal Order of Police formally backed the measure.

H.R. 3342 recorded a vote during markup. The bill would grant the BOP director authority to appoint employees without standard competitive hiring processes, including exempting civil and competitive service rules and veterans preference. The AFGE union supported the measure, calling it a needed tool to speed hiring at the severely understaffed Bureau of Prisons. Current staffing levels have reached dangerously low levels, posing significant risks to both staff and inmates, according to AFGE Council of Prison Locals President Brandy Moore White.

H.R. 9834 also received a recorded vote during markup.

Policy Tensions

The bills reveal fault lines between Republican deregulation and Democratic concerns about enforcement and accountability.

On climate litigation, the American Petroleum Institute declared stopping "extreme climate liability policy" a top 2026 priority. The American Energy Alliance stated that H.R. 8330 provides federal legislative preemption needed to protect American energy independence, defend the rule of law, and safeguard consumers from skyrocketing costs. Climate advocacy group Third Act characterized it as the "Big Oil Immunity Bill" and urged mobilization against it.

On guns, the National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA) stated the Freedom from Unfair Gun Taxes Act ensures states do not place financial burdens on law-abiding gun owners to advance an anti-Second Amendment agenda. Gun Owners of America urged members to take action on both H.R. 2442 and H.R. 9298. The group stated H.R. 9298, which strengthens the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, primarily protects for-profit businesses and trade associations like the NSSF and called for targeted changes to expand protections to nonprofit Second Amendment organizations.

On civil rights, H.R. 10335 would amend 42 U.S.C. § 1988 to change the standard for who qualifies as a "prevailing party" for purposes of recovering attorney's fees in civil rights lawsuits.

What's Next

Companion Senate legislation exists for at least one bill: S. 4775 mirrors H.R. 9298 on tort reform for firearms manufacturers.

The Trump administration's budget included $25.7 million to fund salaries and benefits for Secret Service Uniformed Division officers, signaling support for enhanced resources in that area.

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