PrintWashington, DC - June 26. The Supreme Court has ruled that Americans have a right to own guns for self-defense and hunting, the justices' first major pronouncement on gun rights in U.S. history. The court's 5-4 ruling struck down the District of Columbia's 32-year-old ban on handguns as incompatible with gun rights under the Second Amendment. The capital's gun law was among the nation's strictest.
The leadership of the Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus issued the following statements upon hearing the court's decision.
"This is a landmark affirmation of our constitutional rights. As an avid outdoorsman and hunter, I've long been an advocate of the rights of gun owners who use firearms responsibly, while working to punish those who use guns to commit crimes. For over three decades, the D.C. gun ban has stripped citizens of their right to keep and bear arms - a clear violation of the Second Amendment. This decision will reverberate for years as a victory for individual liberty." Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI)
"As co-chair of the Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus, I have long been a supporter of individual gun rights for law-abiding citizens. The Court's historic decision today shows that the DC handgun ban simply went too far. I applaud the Court for this commonsense decision that shows that individual gun rights and reasonable restrictions can go hand in hand." Rep. Ron Kind (D-WI).
