In a great victory for Second Amendment proponents, I am pleased to report that the Supreme Court today ruled in McDonald v. City of Chicago that every American has a right to own a firearm.  The Supreme Court had previously upheld that right in the District of Columbia, and today’s ruling extends it to every state.   I am very pleased the Court has resolved this important issue and proclaimed an individual right to bear arms.

The close 5-4 decision demonstrates the importance of every Supreme Court justice.  This week, the Senate will hold a confirmation hearing for Elena Kagan, the President’s nominee to replace retiring Justice John Paul Stevens.  While I do not serve in that chamber, it is my strong hope and expectation that senators on the Judiciary Committee will closely scrutinize Ms. Kagan’s judicial philosophy to determine whether she would practice judicial restraint and rely on the original meaning of the Constitution, or try to make laws from the bench and impose her personal policy preferences through Court rulings.  Because Ms. Kagan has never served as a judge, the hearings will be especially crucial to understanding how she views the role of our courts.  Please know that I will closely monitor these hearings.