2nd Amendment

The Second Amendment explicitly protects the right of citizens to keep and bear arms. It is part of the “checks and balances” system of government established by our Constitution.  I am committed to defending this right and have an “A” lifetime rating with the NRA. 

This right is part of the "checks and balances" system of the government established by our Constitution.

Our founders realized the importance of self defense to a free people.  In fact, the first battle in the War for Independence was fought in part because British soldiers were trying to take the weapons from the Colonists.  This was the battle of Concord and Lexington in 1775.

Today, Americans legally employ firearms to protect lives and property over 2 million times a year – often without even firing a shot.  Certainly, some people commit crimes with weapons and I support the prosecution and conviction of these lawbreakers—this includes everyone from the street criminal to our Attorney General, Eric Holder.

In recent years, our Second Amendment rights have come under attack through regulation and international treaties.  We have already seen this with attempts by the Bureau of Land Management to restrict recreational shooting in western states.  Also, the Obama Administration is calling on the U.S. Senate to ratify the U.N. Small Arms Treaty.  This treaty will infringe upon the Second Amendment.  I find this unacceptable and am a co-sponsor of Second Amendment Sovereignty Act of 2012 (H.R. 5846) which prevents funding for a U.N. treaty which attacks our Second Amendment rights.