20 Senate Democrats Demand AG Blanche Explain Why DOJ Stopped Enforcing Under-21 Handgun Sale Ban

Twenty Senate Democrats, including Chuck Schumer of New York, are demanding that Attorney General Todd Blanche explain the Justice Department's decision to stop enforcing the federal ban on licensed gun dealers selling handguns to people under 21.

In an Oct. 16 letter released Monday, the senators wrote that the decision "comes not because Congress repealed or amended the law, but because the Executive Branch has independently concluded that these provisions are unconstitutional."

The OLC Opinion on Handgun Sales

The dispute stems from a Sept. 17 opinion by the department's Office of Legal Counsel. It concluded that the 1968 law barring federally licensed dealers from selling handguns to 18- to 20-year-olds "is unconstitutional as applied" to those young adults, and the senators say it means federal prosecutors will no longer charge dealers who make such sales.

The senators noted that the opinion itself acknowledges the issue has "deeply divided members of the federal bench." They called DOJ's move to stop enforcing the law "by executive fiat" an "expansive and concerning assertion of executive authority," and pointed to mass shootings committed by gunmen aged 18 to 20, including at a Buffalo, N.Y., supermarket.

What the Senators Are Asking For

The letter asks for the department's legal authority, all legal materials behind the decision, any public-safety analysis, and a list of every investigation or prosecution affected. It sets a Nov. 16 deadline.

Who Signed the Letter

The letter was led by Sens. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) and Adam Schiff (D-Calif.). Other signers include Dick Durbin, Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker, Amy Klobuchar and Tim Kaine.

TDFP has asked the Justice Department for comment.

Sources: Senators' letter to Attorney General Blanche (Oct. 16, 2026, PDF): https://www.murphy.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/10162026lettertodojre1821enforcement.pdf ; Sen. Mark Kelly press release: https://www.kelly.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/kelly-murphy-schiff-demand-answers-from-trump-administration-over-decision-to-allow-handgun-sales-to-teenagers/ ; Justice Department Office of Legal Counsel opinion (Sept. 17, 2026): https://www.justice.gov/olc/media/1461811/dl