June 30, 2005: ONE SECTION OF GUN LAW IS DOWN BUT NORTON IS ENCOURAGED BY DEFEAT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 30, 2005

ONE SECTION OF GUN LAW IS DOWN BUT NORTON IS
ENCOURAGED BY DEFEAT OF GUN SAFETY LAW REPEAL

Washington, DC—Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today released the following statement on House passage of an appropriations rider to one section of the city’s gun safety laws that fell far short of wholesale repeal sponsors got in the House (but not the Senate) last year:

“Congratulations to Mayor Tony Williams, Police Chief Charles Ramsey, Superintendent Clifford Janey, Citizens to Save D.C. Gun Safety Laws Coalition and residents who appeared at Wednesday’s hearing on the gun safety law repeal. The efforts of D.C. officials and residents over the past month were critical to driving back Rep. Mark Souder’s (R-IN) bald attempt to invade the city’s home rule prerogative to protect itself and its children. When we stopped repeal, Souder fell back on the awkward nullification of one section of our gun bill. The attachment of his rider dangerously allows loaded shotguns and rifles (and grandfathered handguns) in homes. However, long guns are not designed for quick use to thwart intruders or save lives from handgun carriers, Souder’s stated purpose, but shotguns and rifles loaded for bear are likely to be attractive to kids.

“Security officials won’t welcome shotguns that could be carried openly anywhere in the District, including to the roofs of apartment and office buildings for possible aim at visitors and tourists. Security professionals and official Washington should be the first to recoil at the Souder amendment, which would allow people to carry loaded shotguns and rifles anywhere in post 9-11 D.C., when we have checkpoints still stopping people to see if they are terrorists. Go figure. I hope that the Senate will figure out that this gerrybuilt effort won’t serve the purposes of either gun supporters and certainly not of their opponents.”