Thomas Massie speaks in support of DC residents' 2nd Amendment rights

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Video:
http://www.c-span.org/video/?c450374...ssie-amendment

Text of Massie's amendment:

None of the funds made available by this Act, including amounts made available under titles IV or VIII, may be used by any authority of the government of the District of Columbia to prohibit the ability of any person to possess, acquire, use, sell, or transport a firearm except to the extent such activity is prohibited by Federal law.

The amendment was struck down by a point of order.

Update: A revised amendment was passed on July 16.

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Nice try Massie. /hattip

Thanks for the link to the vid.

[tsai3904]

DC's Delegate criticizes Massie for trying to pass the amendment:

http://norton.house.gov/media-center...ctory-for-dc-s

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Massie reintroduced and passed a revised amendment today:

Congressman Massie Introduces Amendment to Restore the Right to Bear Arms in the District Of Columbia

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Congressman Massie introduced an amendment to the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act of 2015 that would block the District of Columbia from using taxpayer dollars to enforce the following DC laws: the Firearms Registration Amendment Act of 2008, the Inoperable Pistol Amendment Act of 2008, the Firearms Amendment Act of 2012, and the Administrative Disposition for Weapons Offenses Amendment Act of 2012.

“Criminals by definition don’t care about laws. They will get guns any way they can," said Rep. Massie. "Strict gun control laws do nothing but prevent good people from being able to protect themselves and their families in the event of a robbery, home invasion, or other crime. Studies indicate that murder rates rise following bans on firearms.”

Despite the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2008 decision in District of Columbia v. Heller that struck down the DC handgun ban, it is still difficult for DC residents to exercise their right to self-defense. Government authorities in the District continue to establish hurdles and barriers to gun ownership that include re-registration requirements, fees, and submission to invasive fingerprinting and photographing. Fees, onerous registration requirements, and other government-imposed mandates disproportionately punish the poor, the vulnerable, and others who do not have the resources to jump through endless government hoops.

Massie concluded, "Congress has the authority to legislate in this area pursuant to Article I, Section 8, Clause 17 of the Constitution, which gives Congress the authority to “exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever,” over the District of Columbia. It is time for Congress to step in and stop the DC government’s harassment and punishment of law-abiding citizens who simply want to defend themselves."

The Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act, which provides funds to the District of Columbia and several government agencies, will be voted on later today.

http://massie.house.gov/press-releas...-arms-district

Video:
http://www.c-span.org/video/?c4503862/rep-massie-amdt

Text:

None of the funds made available by this Act, including amounts made available under titles IV or VIII, may be used by any authority of the government of the District of Columbia to enforce any provision of the Firearms Registration Amendment Act of 2008 (D.C. Law 17-372), the Inoperable Pistol Amendment Act of 2008 (D.C. Law 17-388), the Firearms Amendment Act of 2012 (D.C. Law 19-170), or the Administrative Disposition for Weapons Offenses Amendment Act of 2012 (D.C. Law 19-295).

The amendment passed 241-181. Roll call: http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2014/roll425.xml

[tsai3904]

DC's Delegate and lots of groups are strongly fighting back against the amendment. It would be nice to show some support for Massie on this.

Norton Warns Residents of New Dangerous Massie D.C. Gun Amendment

...

While we only recently received the amendment and are still reviewing it, the amendment appears to have the following effects. The D.C. government could not prevent:

The carrying of a gun, openly or concealed, on streets in the nation's capital
Assault weapons, including .50 caliber sniper rifles, from being possessed
Magazines holding an unlimited number of bullets from being possessed
The private sale of guns without background checks
The purchase of guns with no waiting period
The purchase of an unlimited number of guns in one day

http://norton.house.gov/media-center...-gun-amendment

These individuals and groups are holding a press conference right now speaking out against the recently passed Massie amendment:

-Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC)
-D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray
-Metropolitan Police Department Assistant Chief Alfred Durham
-Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence
-Coalition to Stop Gun Violence
-D.C. Vote (updated – 7/17/14)

Massie is undeterred and shows up to the press conference:

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Rand will be trying to pass the same amendment