Brady Highlights Danger of New Ghost Gun Market with House Judiciary-Passed Bill

H.R. 2189 is a priority for taser manufacturer Axon Enterprise to pass, with company spending $700,000 in federal lobbying Q3 of 2025

WASHINGTON, D.C., November 18, 2025 — Today, the House Judiciary Committee voted 18-8 to report H.R. 2189, the Law-Enforcement Innovate to De-Escalate Act of 2025, to the full House of Representatives for a vote. The bill would weaken federal firearms laws by redefining key terms under the Gun Control Act (GCA). This would create broad exemptions for so-called “less-than-lethal” devices that are currently classified as firearms under the law — resulting in legal loopholes that the gun industry will exploit to produce and sell untraceable, unregulated, and easily modifiable weapons like ghost guns, armed drones, and other explosive-powered weapons to the public, including individuals convicted of serious violent crimes who cannot pass a Brady background check. In addition to a robust lobbying campaign, Axon CEO Patrick W. Smith has personally contributed $173,500 to federal candidates for office since 2022.

Mark Collins, Brady Director of Federal Policy, said:

Lawmakers who think the passage of this legislation will keep Americans safe and protect them from lethal force by law enforcement are being taken for a ride by weapons manufacturers, and we’re not afraid to call that out. By weakening our existing federal firearms law, lawmakers will unwittingly be creating an entirely new ghost gun market, and criminals will have a new access point for deadly weapons to wreak havoc on our communities. Law enforcement already has nearly-limitless access to ‘less-than-lethal’ weapons, even those classified as firearms, and passage of this bill would not only endanger them but the communities they serve and protect as well. That’s definitionally ‘soft-on-crime’ and we urge the full House to reject this measure if it reaches the floor.