Providing for Consideration of H.R. 6842, National Capital Security and Safety Act

Floor Speech

PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 6842, NATIONAL CAPITAL SECURITY AND SAFETY ACT -- (House of Representatives - September 16, 2008)

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Mr. DINGELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the rule that will allow us to debate and vote on Congressman Childers' amendment to H.R. 6842: legislation that will implement the Supreme Court's historic Heller decision, and restore and protect the Second Amendment rights of the residents of the District of Columbia.

This legislation does four things: First, it overturns existing DC laws banning semiautomatic firearms, including the types of guns most commonly used for self defense. Second, it overturns DC laws requiring residents to keep their firearms locked and inoperable until the very moment they are attacked. Third, it gives DC residents the ability to purchase a firearm in Virginia or Maryland, a necessity because there is only one federally licensed firearms dealer in Washington, DC, and he operates without a facility that is open to the public. Fourth, this legislation removes the lengthy and burdensome registration procedures put in place by the DC Council.

What this legislation does not do is preclude the DC Council in any way from passing sensible firearms regulations that comply with the Supreme Court's decision in Heller. The DC Council will retain the authority to restrict firearms so long as those restrictions do not overly burden the Second Amendment rights of DC residents.

It should also be noted that this legislation does not in any way harm our efforts to stop criminals or terrorists that pose a threat to DC residents. Indeed, those criminals and terrorists already have access to illegal firearms. This legislation will, however, give law abiding residents of Washington, DC, with the opportunity to purchase a legal firearm from a federally licensed firearms dealer and keep it in their home or place of business in order to defend themselves.

I am happy to hear that the DC Council and the Mayor have proposed changes to DC's gun laws that will begin to bring the District into compliance with the Supreme Court's decision. However, those efforts do not preclude us from acting to pass Congressman Childers' amendment. Rather, the DC Council's proposals will complement our efforts here today.

In short, I urge my colleagues to adopt this rule today and to support Mr. Childers' amendment, which will for the first time in over 30 years give the residents of Washington, DC, the rights afforded to them under the Second Amendment.

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