Knowing of your interest in 2nd Amendment issues, I wanted to share with you two recent actions I have taken to protect our constitutional right to keep and bear arms.  I recently became an original cosponsor of H.R. 1620, the Secure Access to Firearms Enhancement (SAFE) Act.  This legislation would allow law-abiding citizens who can legally carry a firearm in their home state to carry that firearm in any other state. This would ensure that both frequent travelers and families who take a once-a-year vacation could travel across state lines with the protection and comfort provided by their licensed firearm.

I also signed a letter to President Obama urging him to discard plans recently described by Attorney General Eric Holder to reinstate the so-called "assault weapons" ban.  These semi-automatic firearms are designed for law-abiding citizens to use for sport, hunting, and protecting their home, and should not be equated in any way with military-style weapons.  I believe reinstating the ban, which expired in 2004, would undermine our Second Amendment rights and serve only to remove guns from law-abiding citizens while doing nothing substantial to keep them out of the hands of criminals.