Rep. Carolyn McCarthy Statement on the US Supreme Court’s Ruling on Washington D.C.’s Gun Ban
The following is a statement from Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy in reaction to the United State Supreme Court’s Ruling on the District of Columbia v. Heller:
“Although I am disappointed in today’s decision to strike down the Washington D.C. gun ban, I am heartened by the Court’s acknowledgment of the right of legislative bodies to create sensible gun laws. This ruling now paves the way for Congress to move forward on passing the kind of laws that will protect our communities.
“Today’s Supreme Court decision is the first major ruling on gun ownership by the Supreme Court since 1939. The Court has set an important precedent with its ruling today that will no doubt allow for the creation of future laws intended to stem gun violence. I signed a brief in support of the law and I know how much communities throughout the country are struggling to reduce gun violence.
“In the District of Columbia v. Heller, the court examined whether Washington D.C.’s 1976 ban on handgun possession at home, and requirement that all guns—including rifles and shotguns—be kept disassembled, was constitutional.
“It should be noted that the Washington D.C. gun ban was among the toughest in the nation. But, I strongly believe that lawmakers need to have the freedom to create legislation that protects communities, without violating people’s individual rights.
“In their decision, the Justices said that the 2nd amendment gives individuals the right to own guns, but that communities have the right to make laws that create reasonable gun laws.
“Specifically, the court ruled that the Second Amendment right is ‘Not a right to keep and carry any weapon whatsoever in any manner whatsoever and for whatever purpose.’
“Also, signaling that this ruling is not a move in the direction of disavowing all limitations on gun ownership, the Court also said that the Second Amendment right is ‘not unlimited.’
“Of note, the Court maintained that this ruling is not intended to overturn any significant precedents set by previous decisions when it said, ‘[the Court’s] opinion should not be taken to cast doubt on longstanding prohibitions on the possession of firearms by felons and the mentally ill, or laws forbidding the carrying of firearms in sensitive places such as schools and government buildings, or laws imposing conditions and qualifications on the commercial sale of arms.’
“That is why I have been working so hard to keep guns out of the hands of those people who could potentially do the most harm, such as when Congress passed my bill the NICS Improvement Amendments Act of 2007. That law makes it harder for criminals and the mentally ill to gain access to guns.
“The NICS Improvement Amendment Act of 2007 needs to be fully funded in order to keep our communities safe. We also need to put more cops on the streets and increase funding for the Community Oriented Policing Programs Services (COPS) program.
“While I have consistently supported the right of gun ownership, it is crucial that government has the ability to create common sense gun laws. We have an obligation to keep our communities safer from gun violence.
“Since the Court’s decision today leans toward an individual right to gun ownership and does not suggest that the Second Amendment is strictly intended for the establishment of militia, as lawmakers, this interpretation allows us to create common sense gun laws that do not hinder the right to gun ownership, but keep guns out of the wrong hands and keep communities and individuals safe from gun violence.
“As the Justices said, ‘the Constitution leaves the District of Columbia a variety of tools for combating that problem; including some measures regulating handguns.’
“With that in mind I will continue to work toward pushing laws that stem gun violence and keep guns from those individuals who are likely to cause harm, as I have for the past 15 years.
“We can never stop all gun violence, but there is a lot that we can do to keep our communities safer. Now is the time to roll up our sleeves and get to work on passing sensible gun laws that protect Americans, but not threaten the ability of law-abiding citizens to own guns.”
