UPDATE REPRESENTATIVE MASSIE'S PRO-GUN RIGHTS AMENDMENT PASSED BY A VOTE OF 241-181.
Roll-call vote here.
Today, the House will consider the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act (HR 5016). Among the items included in the bill is the yearly appropriations for the District of Columbia (DC).
Kentucky Representative Thomas Massie (KY-04) will be offering a pro-gun rights amendment to the bill today. Representative Massie’s amendment prohibits the use of funds by the government of the District of Columbia to deny DC residents their Second Amendment rights. Even though the Supreme Court struck down DC's handgun ban in District of Columbia v. Heller, 554 U.S. 570 (2008), the DC city government continues to burden the ability of DC citizens to exercise their second amendment rights by, for example, forcing them to submit to fingerprinting and photographing.
The amendment will be voted on this afternoon, so Campaign for Liberty members still have time to call their Representatives and ask that they support the Massie amendment to the Financial Services Appropriations bill.
Here is Mr. Massie's Dear Colleague on the amendment:
July 15, 2014
VOTE FOR THE MASSIE AMENDMENT TO H.R. 5016
RESTORE THE RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Dear Colleague,
As everyone with even the smallest bit of common sense knows, criminals by definition don’t care about laws. They’ll get guns any way they can. Strict gun control laws do nothing but prevent good people from being able to protect themselves and their families during a robbery, home invasion, or other crime.
My amendment to H.R. 5016 would block the District of Columbia from using taxpayer dollars to prevent law-abiding citizens from possessing, using, selling, or transporting firearms. Despite the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in District of Columbia v. Heller that struck down the DC handgun ban, it is still difficult for DC residents to exercise their God-given right to bear arms. This is because government authorities in the District continue to establish hurdles and barriers to gun ownership that include re-registration requirements, fees, and submission to invasive fingerprinting and photographing.
Congress has the authority to legislate in this area pursuant to Article I, Section 8, Clause 17 of the Constitution, which gives Congress the authority to “exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever,” over the District of Columbia. Therefore, it is time for Congress to step in and stop the DC government’s harassment and punishment of law-abiding citizens who simply want to defend themselves from criminals. Fees, onerous registration requirements, and other government-imposed mandates disproportionately punish the poor, the vulnerable, and others who do not have the resources to jump through endless government hoops.
Statistics show that gun ownership reduces overall crime rates. For example, in 2012, 4 years after Heller, the DC murder rate fell to fewer than 100 murders for the first time since 1963. When a criminal knows that his victim owns a gun and will use it, the criminal will often think twice before acting. Further reducing the unconstitutional barriers to gun ownership in DC will reduce crime and improve safety in our nation’s capital.
Please vote for my amendment and give the residents of the District of Columbia their Second Amendment rights back.
Sincerely,
Thomas Massie
Member of Congress
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PDFTags: thomas massie, gun control, second amemdent