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Washington, D.C. - "The Framers of the Constitution left little room for interpretation when they penned the Second Amendment, which states, “A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.” This single sentence has stood up for years to gun control advocates who have worked to erode its strength and change its meaning. Perhaps no greater victory took place this year, on June 26th, 2008, when for the first time in history, the United States Supreme Court ruled that the right to bear arms was indeed an individual right, not just a right of the National Guard, militias, or the privileged few who can afford personal security and bodyguards.
"Decided 5-4, The District of Columbia v. Heller forced the D.C. city government to lift its draconian ban on personal handgun ownership within city limits which had stood for over 30 years. The gun ban, one of the strictest in the nation, must now be viewed as nothing short of a disaster, and serves as a perfect case study for the failure of gun control laws in this country. Washington, D.C. has repeatedly held the title of “Murder Capital of the United States,” and has consistently maintained one of the country’s highest violent crime rates. For years the law abiding citizens of the District have been barred from protecting their families and homes with a firearm, while criminals have run rampant throughout the city.
"The Heller decision not only impacts Washington, D.C., but its reach will resonate from coast-to-coast, including Idaho. Every city must now accept this Supreme Court decision as law. It trumps any other law that unjustly restricts access to or ownership of firearms. Lawsuits are already underway and regulations are being revised across the country to repeal unfair laws similar to the D.C.’s.
"Unfortunately, following the Supreme Court ruling, the D.C. government took immediate action to continue to deny its citizens access to firearms by placing additional restrictions on ownership requiring Congress to step in.
"I am proud to tell you that I have cosponsored the Second Amendment Enforcement Act, which overwhelmingly passed 266-152 in the House of Representatives on September 17th. It ensured that D.C. residents’ Second Amendment rights were protected, as called for by the Supreme Court. Specifically, it repealed the ban on semiautomatic pistols and rifles; eliminated the regulation requiring that guns in the home be kept unloaded and either fitted with trigger locks or disassembled; abolished the city’s gun-registration requirements; and allowed D.C. residents to purchase guns in Maryland and Virginia.
"I was pleased to see the House of Representatives act in a bipartisan manner to strongly affirm the rights of law abiding citizens’ to keep and bear arms. I am proud to tell you that my work on this legislation, and in support of gun rights in general, has again earned me A ratings from both the National Rifle Association and the Gun Owners of America.
"As I continue to work and vote to protect gun rights in Idaho, and across the country, I will encourage my colleagues to remember that the criminal who uses the gun should be held responsible for the crime, not the gun itself. I will also continue to push for stricter penalties for those who use guns to commit crimes. Law abiding citizens should not be penalized because of the senseless and unlawful actions of a few."
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