Letter to a constituent:

October 3, 2008

Dear Mr. *****,

           Thank you for writing to me regarding legislation pertaining to guns in Washington , D.C. It is important for me to hear from my constituents on a variety of issues, and I appreciate hearing from you.

           In 1976, the Washington , D.C. City Council voted to ban most D.C. residents from obtaining new handguns. The ban excluded police officers, private security professionals, and anyone who had previously registered a handgun. Since then, the ban has repeatedly been challenged in Congress and by D.C. residents but has remained in effect.

On June 26, 2008, t he U.S. Supreme Court ruled by a vote of 5-4 that the D.C. gun ban violated the Second Amendment. However, the co urt also stated that the ruling would not directly affect most bans on the possession of guns by felons or the mentally ill, or laws prohibiting gun possession in certain areas, such as schools and government building s . The D.C. Council quickly established emergency gun laws in accordance with the Supreme Court ' s decision .

           On July 31, 2008, Representative Travis Childers introduced H.R. 6691, the Second Amendment Enforcement Act. Upon passage, the bill would restrict D.C.'s ability to pass legislation dealing with certain types of firearms . The bill would repeal the ban on semiautomatic weapons in D.C., and the registration requirements for firearm possession. In addition, H.R. 6691 would abolish the requirement that certain individuals who own firearms must keep them unloaded, disassembled, or with the trigger locked while the firearm is in the home . The bill would allow D.C. residents to temporarily purchase handguns in Virginia and Maryland .

On September 17, 2008, t he House passed the text of H.R. 6691 by a vote of 266 - 152 , when it was offered as a substi tute to H.R. 6842, the National Capital Security and Safety Act , which would have required D.C. to update its gun laws to comply with the Supreme Court decision . I voted against the legislation because I believe this legislation unnecessarily infringes on the rights on the D.C. government to make the best decisions for its residents . In New York State , we would object if the federal government tried to impose its view of gun rights on our state and local communities. I believe that the District of Columbia should also have the right to determine its own firearm policy . This legislation has been referred to the U.S. Senate, where it is pending further action.

I support the Second Amendment rights of responsible, law - abiding citizens to own and use guns and believe our nation must have strong penalties for those who break the law by selling or buying guns illegally, or by committing gun crimes. In order to keep our communities safe our law enforcement personnel must have the proper tools to keep guns out of the hands of criminals and to keep guns from illegally getting onto the streets.

            I will be sure to keep your thoughts in mind as Congress considers legislation on D.C. gun laws. Please feel free to contact me whenever I might be of assistance to you.

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