Votes to Repeal Ban to Handguns in the Nation's Capital

Press Release

U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was part of a pro-gun majority in the House today voting to make it easier for residents of the nation's capital to exercise their Second Amendment rights.

"As a long-time gun owner, I believe the right to keep and bear arms should not be dependent on the city in which you live," said Giffords. "The provisions of the U.S. Constitution apply to all Americans, regardless of geography."

The National Capital Security & Safety Act, H.R. 6842, as amended by U.S. Travis Childers of Mississippi, passed the House of Representatives this morning in a bipartisan 266-152 vote.

Three months ago, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the District of Columbia's 32-year old ban on possessing handguns was a violation of the Second Amendment. Prior to the court's action, Giffords was among more than 300 members of Congress to join a bipartisan amicus brief urging the court to overturn the city's ban.

Childers' substitute version of H.R. 6842, which was supported by the National Rifle Association, eliminates the requirement that guns in District of Columbia homes be locked up and unloaded.

"We have a long tradition of gun ownership in the United States," Giffords said. "It is a tradition which every law-abiding citizen should be able to enjoy."

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