As a 29-year Air Force combat veteran and seven-year POW in Vietnam who fought to protect our democracy and uphold our Constitution, I am a proud supporter of the right to keep and bear arms. Eligible, law-abiding citizens should have the right to purchase and own firearms!
Citizens may choose to own a firearm for a variety of purposes including hunting, collecting, sport, or personal protection – all of which are valid reasons.
I believe that the efforts of individuals who are trying to combat crime through gun control are simply wrongheaded. Such efforts do not take firearms from criminals, but rather from law abiding citizens. After all, criminals, by definition, do not respect the law. They will seek out illegal avenues to obtain guns and other weapons of choice. With over 20,000 federal, state, and local gun laws in existence, it is clear that more gun control laws are not the answer to eliminating gun violence.
Instead of punishing law-abiding Americans with new restrictions, I firmly believe the best way to reduce gun crime is to enforce existing laws and fully prosecute those who use firearms in an illegal manner.
In Washington, I am proud to have consistently received an “A” rating from the National Rifle Association and the Gun Owners of America for my voting record in support of the 2nd Amendment. Please rest assured that I will continue to fight to ensure the federal government does not pass any law that infringes upon your Constitutional freedom to own and bear firearms.
In fact, at the start of the 115th Congress, I had legislation (H.J.Res 40) signed into law that would protect the 2nd Amendment rights of certain Social Security disability beneficiaries. You see, in the final hours of his presidency, Obama finalized a Social Security Administration rule - a rule that would mean certain Social Security beneficiaries who also happen to have someone they know and trust handle their Social Security checks for them would be prevented from buying a gun. Furthermore, the rule disregarded due process under the law. This is wrong. Old age or a disability does NOT make someone a threat to society. All law-abiding citizens should have the right to own a firearm. Period. That's why I blasted the President's actions on the House Floor, and on January 20th, 2017, I introduced a resolution that would stop former President Obama's gun grab. This resolution passed the House on February 2nd with a bipartisan vote of 235-180, and it was signed into law on February 28th, 2017.
Recent Actions to protect YOUR 2nd Amendment rights include:
- Cosponsor of H.R. 38, the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2017. This bill, which passed the House in December 2017, would ensure that valid concealed carry permits issued in one state are valid for carrying a concealed weapon in any other state that recognize their residents’ rights to carry a concealed weapon. * This is supported by the NRA and GOA.
- Cosponsor of H.R. 358, a bill to amend chapter 44 of title 18, United States Code, to more comprehensively address the interstate transportation of firearms or ammunition.
- Cosponsor of H.R. 367, the Hearing Protection Act. This bill would amend the tax code to eliminate the $200 transfer tax on firearm silencers and treat any person who owns a suppressor as meeting all licensing requirements under the National Firearms Act.
