Second Amendment

The Second Amendment is one of the most important rights guaranteed by the Bill of Rights.  The operative text states that “the right of the people to keep and bear arms…shall not be infringed.”  In spite of the clarity of this amendment, we have seen repeated, consistent, and sustained attacks on this right and efforts across the spectrum to “infringe” on this individual right. 

In the Federalist No. 46, James Madison explained that because American citizens were typically armed, the federal government would be unable to exert power beyond the powers enumerated in the Constitution.  Madison explained that in contrast to European nations where “the governments are afraid to trust the people with arms” the United States would rely on an armed citizenry to protect themselves, their families, and the nation. 

The founders intended the Second Amendment to function as a citizen check against overreach in the event that the government started to take away civil rights guaranteed in the Constitution.  In keeping with my oath of office to protect and defend our founding charter, I will not support unconstitutional gun restriction laws.  I will actively fight any attempt to undermine our Constitution and infringe upon the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens. With the attack on personal gun-ownership, the Second Amendment, and our God-given rights, Second Amendment opponents have been relentless in their pursuit of taking guns away from law-abiding Americans. 

The anti-gun lobby continue to ignore the fact that violence is driven by a number of different factors, and that experience has shown gun control does not curb violent acts.  There is no easy answer to the problem of violence we face in our country, but inhibiting the ability of law-abiding citizens to exercise their Constitutional rights is nothing more than window dressing.  One needs to look no further than the states with the toughest restrictions on firearms to see that they are the ones consistently ranking the highest in violent crime.  When you limit an individual’s ability to lawfully purchase or carry firearms you are allowing only those with the intent to break the law to have weapons.

I have been a life-long supporter of responsible gun ownership. I have also been a hunter for most of my life, and I am well aware of our rights and duties relative to firearms.  We must remain vigilant and enforce all of our constitutional rights, not simply pick and choose the ones we like.  Our fundamental and inherent rights are not dependent upon which president, or which Congress, is in office.

I have been a leader in the House of Representatives on Second Amendment rights and we have made significant progress in opposing efforts to restrict, infringe, or remove this constitutionally-protected right. For my leadership and action on these issues, I have a career grade of “A” with the National Rifle Association of America (NRA) and the Gun Owners of America (GOA).