Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen spearheaded a coalition urging the Biden administration to maintain the operations of a significant commercial ammunition manufacturing plant. This call to action was prompted by requests from Democrat attorneys general to investigate the plant, a move that could disrupt production, diminish ammunition supply, and compromise national security.
In a letter sent to President Biden and White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention Director Stefanie Feldman, Attorney General Knudsen opposed the Democrats’ request for an investigation into the Lake City Army Ammunition Plant. He criticized their misleading attempts to link the plant to mass shootings, emphasizing that such allegations shouldn’t justify imposing unreasonable restrictions on the facility, as it undermines the Second Amendment right by restricting access to ammunition.
Attorney General Knudsen expressed concern about the Biden administration and Democrats potentially hindering Americans’ exercise of their right to bear arms, even at the cost of reducing ammunition production capabilities and jeopardizing national security. He highlighted that the move to shut down the Lake City Army Ammunition Plant was based on a dubious “investigation” by the New York Times.
The letter emphasized the crucial role of the Lake City plant in the national ammunition supply chain, with a longstanding contract with the United States Department of Defense for commercial use to support military readiness.
Rather than penalizing criminals involved in gun violence, the Democrats were accused of attempting to harm the firearms and ammunition industry, putting the safety of armed Americans seeking protection from violent crime at risk.
The attorneys general strongly advised against heeding the Democrats’ request to investigate Lake City, citing a lack of allegations of wrongdoing justifying such stringent limits. They pledged to take any necessary action to defend citizens’ Second Amendment rights if the course of action continues.
The letter was endorsed by attorneys general from multiple states, co-led by Indiana, Iowa, and Missouri, and included representatives from Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, Wyoming, and the North Carolina legislature.
Read the letter here.