Lucas Votes for Second Amendment Rights for the Nation's Capitol

Press Release

Today, the House of Representatives voted on H.R. 6842, the "National Capital Security and Safety Act," a piece of legislation aimed at addressing the Supreme Court's decision in District of Columbia v. Heller. In this case, the Supreme Court found that the District of Columbia's handgun laws that were enacted in 1976 violated their citizen's constitutional right to bear arms.

"I have been a long-time supporter of the right to bear arms as established in the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution," stated Lucas. "Today, the House of Representatives stood up to protect the rights of the citizen's of our nation's capitol by requiring the District of Columbia's government come into compliance with the Heller decision."

Initially, H.R. 6842 only required the D.C. government to comply with Heller within 180 days of the bill's enactment. However, the House voted overwhelmingly, 260-160, to adopt the Childers Amendment, which established guidelines for D.C. to follow. It included requiring a repeal on D.C.'s ban on semi-automatic handguns and the current arduous registration process that requires multiple visits to police headquarters, ballistic testing, passing a written test on D.C. gun laws, and fingerprinting. In addition, the Childers Amendment repeals the D.C. requirement that firearms be kept unloaded, disassembled, or secured with a trigger lock at home and the requirement that all firearms be purchased in the District only.

"Restricting gun ownership turned our nation's capitol into the "murder capital of the United States,'" stated Lucas. "In fact, from 1976 when the gun control laws were enacted, until 2001, the murder rate in D.C. rose 200% while the nation's rate rose only 9%. While I come home for the weekends to Oklahoma, I spend my week days in Washington when Congress is in session, so this legislation affects me personally. I am proud to have supported this important piece of legislation that takes steps towards fully restoring gun ownership rights to the citizens of D.C."

The House voted on H.R. 6842 this morning, passing it 266-152 after attaching the Childers Amendment. Congressman Lucas voted for both the amendment and the bill.

Source