Let’s make this very direct: New York Rep. Steve Israel is intentionally lying to his constituents, the wider American public, and to new ATF Director Thomas Brandon in a letter attempting to push the ban of some of the most common and least dangerous practice AR-15 ammunition in the market today.

In a letter first obtained by The Hill, Rep. Steve Israel (D-N.Y.) urges acting ATF Director Thomas Brandon to “act swiftly” to protect police officers from armor-piercing bullets. [READ THE LETTER BELOW.]

“In 2014 alone, 50 law enforcement officers were killed in the line of duty, a fact that underscores the necessity of the ATF to act swiftly to keep armor-piercing bullets that can be used in pistols off the streets,” Israel writes in the letter sent Tuesday.

Israel is requesting a meeting with the new ATF chief to discuss the stalled bullet ban.

Brandon took over this month after former ATF Director B. Todd Jones stepped down to pursue a career in the National Football League, following a failed attempt to prohibit certain armor-piercing bullets that are popular in AR-15 hunting rifles, but can also be used in handguns.

Republicans and the National Rifle Association warned the bullet ban would infringe on the Second Amendment right of hunters, who commonly use AR-15 rifles.

But gun safety advocates in Congress, including Israel, say these particular bullets present a grave danger to police officers, because they can also be used in more easily concealed handguns.

“The existing framework does not ensure that restrictions on armor-piercing technology keep up with new and rapidly developing firearm technology,” Israel wrote.

The serially dishonest Israel has tried this argument before, and we debunked each and every claim he made then, too.

M855 is not armor-peircing by any legal definition. This applies to both civilian law, and by military definition (where armor-piercing ammunition such as the M995 has a black tip).

Further, M855 is simply not a threat to police officers, according to both hard data—there is no record in U.S. history of a police officer being shot through body armor with M855 ammunition via an AR-15 pistol—and the professional opinion of the world’s largest law enforcement organization, the Fraternal Order of Police.

If Rep. Steve Israel was capable of being honest—and there is no evidence that he is—he’d admit that AR-15 “pistols” are merely stockless rifles, and they don’t get any smaller than 2’x2′, and a weight of five pounds. They are far too large to be carried concealed by criminals.

If Rep. Steve Israel was capable of being honest—and there is no evidence that he is—he’d admit that M855 does less damage than any other kind of .223 Remington/5.56 NATO bullet design.

Yes, you heard that correctly.

Rep. Steve Israel is attempting to ban ammunition that simply “icepicks” straight through targets at low velocities without mushrooming, yawing, or fragmenting.

The wounds from M855 ammunition cause the least damage of all .223 Remington/5.56 NATO rifle ammunition made, and there is an argument to be made that it is the most survivable bullet of all centerfire rifle bullet made today.

Yes, Rep. Steve Israel is attempting to claim that one of the least damaging rifle bullets made is actually the most dangerous.

As he has recently floated a bill that would ban all rifle ammunition, it’s fair to doubt his honesty and his motives.