House approves pistol brace legislation that was at the center of conservative revolt

The House approved a resolution related to pistol braces on Tuesday, legislation that was at the center of the floor revolt conservatives staged last week that paused business in the chamber for days.

The measure, introduced by Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-Ga.), calls for blocking the Biden administration rule that would reclassify pistols with stabilizing braces as short-barreled rifles. The rule would also require that individuals who have pistols with stabilizing braces register them with the government by May 31, 2023.

The chamber approved the legislation in a largely party-line 219-210 vote, sending it to the Senate for consideration. Even if it does clear the upper chamber, the White House has said that President Biden would veto it.

Two Republicans — Reps. Thomas Kean Jr. (N.J.) and Brian Fitzpatrick (Pa.) — broke from the party and voted against the legislation, while two Democrats, Reps. Jared Golden (Maine) and Mary Peltola (Alaska), supported the measure.

The resolution — first introduced in March — drew significant attention last week, when it became a main point of controversy in the days-long standoff between House conservatives and GOP leadership.

A group of 11 conservatives launched a revolt on the floor as a protest against the debt limit deal Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) struck with President Biden, which was enacted earlier this month to prevent the country’s first-ever default. They were also frustrated with how leadership handled Clyde’s pistol brace measure.

Clyde, who was not one of the 11 holdouts, had accused House Republican leadership of threatening to prevent a vote on his legislation if he opposed a procedural vote for the debt limit bill — which he ultimately did. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.), however, later told reporters that the measure did not have enough support to pass, but that he was working to rally up enough votes.

But, Clyde doubled down after that response, writing in a statement that he was threatened by leadership.

“Let me be unequivocally clear, I was threatened that if I voted against the closed rule to the debt ceiling agreement, it would be very difficult to bring my pistol stabilizing brace bill to the House floor for a vote,” he said.

Last week, amid the blockade, Scalise announced that the pistol brace measure would come to the floor for a vote on Tuesday, and Clyde and Scalise each released statements in support of the legislation.

On Monday evening, after a meeting with McCarthy, the GOP defectors announced that they would end their floor blockade — at least temporarily — and allow legislative business to resume in the chamber as they continue discussions with the Speaker about reining in deficit spending.

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), one of the 11 GOP defectors, said holding a vote on the pistol brace legislation was one reason why the group was breaking the impasse.

“It’s very important to us to move the pistol brace legislation,” Gaetz told reporters.

“One of the reasons we’re here is because the pistol brace legislation was taken hostage as an act of retribution and retaliation,” he continued. “One of the very positive and productive features of our discussion is we’ve been able to liberate the pistol brace legislation.”