Protecting the Second Amendment

Statement

The Second Amendment to our Constitution guarantees the right to keep and bear arms. I remain committed to protecting our Second Amendment right. We must remain vigilant however as the President and some in Congress continue to pursue new restrictions on purchasing firearms.

We all share the goal of reduced violence, but arbitrary gun restrictions do not address the root causes of the problem and only punish law-abiding citizens. Laws on the books will not prevent criminals and those intending to do harm from obtaining arms or committing crimes. This is why I am working to protect the right to gun ownership, and to stop legislation which threatens our ability to protect our families and our freedoms.

For example, I have heard from many Nebraskans concerned about the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT). The treaty is an attempt by the United Nations to regulate the import, export, and transfer of firearms. On September 25, 2013, Secretary of State John Kerry signed the agreement, making the United States one of the 114 nations to agree to the treaty. The agreement still must be approved by two-thirds of the U.S. Senate and signed by the President before it is officially ratified by our country.

I have serious concerns the ATT would infringe on American sovereignty and our Second Amendment rights. Thwarting illegal international trade of firearms must not come at the expense of our rights as American citizens. Because of these concerns, I signed a letter to the Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense to urge them to defund the ATT and to prevent its implementation, particularly the use of the treaty to engage in domestic prosecution against persons in the U.S.

I also supported the fiscal year 2014 defense authorization bill, which bans for one year the use of funds by the Department of Defense to implement the ATT, unless given consent of the Senate and accompanied by implementing legislation in Congress. I am pleased this legislation passed the House and Senate, and was signed by the President.

I also have co-sponsored a number of bills to protect the Second Amendment including the National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act. Without establishing a national permit system, this bill would allow individuals with valid permits to carry a concealed firearm from one state to the next in accordance with each state's laws. This legislation would eliminate confusion among law enforcement and gun owners over which states recognize the concealed carry permits of other states.

We must remain vigilant against threats to our rights whether by domestic legislation or international treaty, and for opportunities to strengthen the Second Amendment. This right is more than a safeguard for sportsmen, hunters, and collectors -- it speaks to the heart of our country. We must defend the Second Amendment to preserve freedom and democracy in America.

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