Letter to the Hon. Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House & the Hon. Kevin McCarthy, House Minority Leader - Huffman Leads Colleagues in Call for Increase Gun Safety in the U.S. Capitol
Letter
Dear Speaker Pelosi and Minority Leader McCarthy:
We write to ask for the inclusion of language in the House Rules package for the 117th Congress
banning members from carrying firearms on Capitol grounds.
Currently, Members of Congress are exempt from the firearms prohibition in 40 U.S.C. § 5104
under the Capitol Police Board's regulations. These regulations, which date back to 1967, raise
several serious concerns. For example, the regulations do not direct Members of Congress to
secure firearms that are stored within their offices; as you know, Member offices are open to
staff, visitors, and the general public, and a firearm that is not secured could easily end up in the
wrong hands. Moreover, the regulations do not appear to be enforceable: there is currently no
way for the Capitol Police to know which members are carrying or storing firearms.
Paradoxically, these regulations are not clearly made available to Members. Despite assurances
from the House Sergeant at Arms that Freshmen Members would be instructed on gun
regulations during New Member Orientation, most returning Members are likely not aware of
any regulations whatsoever regarding firearms on Capitol grounds. As a result, there is a total
lack of uniformity and procedure surrounding Members of Congress carrying firearms, which
fosters an environment where Members may unwittingly be putting themselves and others in
danger.
Ultimately, the current regulations create needless risk for Members of Congress, their staff,
members of the Capitol Police, and visitors to the Capitol grounds. A provision in the Rules
package directing the Capitol Police Board to ensure that Member of Congress may not possess
firearms on Capitol grounds would ensure clarity surrounding firearms policy and protect all
individuals in and around the Capitol. We urge inclusion of this commonsense protection in the
117th Congress.
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