Congressman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, issued the following statement on President Obama's executive actions on firearms:
"The right of the people to keep and bear arms is one of the fundamental principles of our Republic and is not to be infringed. Over the course of President Obama's tenure in office, his Administration has sought to undermine the Second Amendment on numerous occasions but opposition from the American people and Congress often have stopped his attempts to restrict this constitutional right. The President's latest proposal does not go as far as originally reported, but I am concerned that it could impact citizens' privacy and due process by granting federal bureaucrats more power to take away this right from those it deems incompetent. The House Judiciary Committee will closely monitor the Administration's actions and consider whether legislation is needed to further protect Americans' constitutional rights.
"Like the President and Americans across this country, I want to see an end to violence that all too often results in the loss of innocent life. But we must ensure that actions taken to reduce violence are targeted, address underlying causes, and do not infringe upon the Second Amendment rights afforded to all Americans. One common factor in these tragedies is mental illness. I have been working with leaders of the House Energy and Commerce Committee to ensure our nation's mental health system provides families and patients access to the care they need. Additionally, as part of the House Judiciary Committee's bipartisan criminal justice reform initiative, we will soon consider a bill to provide mentally ill offenders with the resources they need in order to reduce the likelihood of them committing more crimes.
"Additionally, the President's action pays lip service to enforcing the current laws against gun violence, but Congress has passed many laws to reduce gun violence already that the Obama Administration has not enforced. As we continue to look for ways to reduce violence, President Obama should enforce the laws that are already on the books. I and other members of the House Judiciary Committee will continue to keep a watchful eye on the Obama Administration so that we protect Americans' constitutional rights."