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Washington, D.C. September 29th – Congressman Jim Moran, Virginia Democrat, took to the House floor today in opposition to legislation that would strip the District of Columbia of virtually all its locally enacted gun control laws. The bill passed by a vote of 250-171.
Congressman Moran stated, “I am baffled at what the so-called “District of Columbia Personal Protection Act” introduced by the gentleman from Indiana, has to do with personally protecting anyone in Washington, D.C. Public officials on the ground, working in the District, know the needs of their constituents and the best means to protect them from gun violence. This legislation is a total affront to the concept of “Home-Rule” and a slap in the face to the people of the District of Columbia. We’ve got a war going on right now in Iraq. We don’t need to open another front right here on the city streets of our Nation’s Capital.”
Last year, D.C. police confiscated 1,982 firearms from criminal suspects. So far this year, 1,385 guns have been recovered. If Representative Souder’s legislation had been in place 12 months ago, most of those guns would still be on the streets and in the hands of criminals looking to use them to do harm. Passage of this bill would lift restrictions in the District on carrying concealed firearms in churches, movie theaters or shopping centers. It would also eliminate local requirements for gun safety training or registration and curtail the ability of D.C. officials to take actions on the local level that will help keep guns out of the hands of gang members, terrorists or other criminals.
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