Washington, D.C. – U.S. Representative Heath Shuler released the following statement
today after the U.S. Supreme Court’s affirmation that individuals have a Constitutional
right to own firearms by striking down the District of Columbia’s ban on handgun
ownership in the District of Columbia v. Heller.
Rep. Shuler, along with dozens of other Members of Congress, had submitted an amici
curiae, or “friend of the court” brief, in February 2008 disagreeing with the District of
Columbia’s ban on handguns and individual self-defense.
Rep. Shuler was also a cosponsor of H.R. 1399, a bill which sought to repeal the District
of Columbia’s registration requirement for the possession of firearms; prohibition on
possession of a handgun in a home; and requirement that firearms in the possession of
certain individuals be kept unloaded or disassembled.
“The right to keep and bear arms is enshrined in the Second Amendment, and I pleased
with the Supreme Court’s affirmation of that fundamental right today. Law-abiding
Americans have a right to own firearms, whether it is for the protection of themselves and
their families, hunting, or collecting, or any other legal activity.”
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Download: Rep. Shuler Statement on Supreme Court Ruling on D.C Gun Ban and 2nd Amendment Rights