The National Rifle Association, which typically rests its case on the Second Amendment and personal security, is framing legislation that would make it easier to buy gun silencers as a public health issue.

The NRA’s campaign includes rebranding silencers as “suppressors” because they don’t completely silence the sound of gunfire. Silencers reduce the average firearm noise from 165 decibels to below the potentially dangerous level of 140 decibels.

“The Hearing Protection Act” is the gun lobby’s priority in Congress, along with a bill that would allow people to carry concealed weapons across state lines if they have permits in their home state.

“We can have disagreements about politics, but there should be universal support for hearing protection,” said Chris Cox, executive director of the political arm of the NRA.

Gun control groups oppose efforts to make suppressors more accessible, arguing that the noise of gunfire is essential to warn potential victims and help law enforcement track down criminals.