September 17, 2008

Dear Mr. Lenny7:

Knowing of your support for the right to keep and bear arms, I wanted to provide an update on recent legislation that may be of interest to you.

Like you, I am a strong supporter of Second Amendment rights. As a former Marine and avid outdoorsman, I am an experienced firearms owner and user and strongly support the individual right to keep and bear arms for the protection of one's home, property, family, and person. I am especially proud of my "A" rating from the National Rifle Association and will do all I can to protect Second Amendment rights.

As you probably know, the United States Supreme Court ruled on June 26, 2008 that the D.C. gun law unconstitutionally infringed on the right of Americans to protect themselves with firearms under the Second Amendment. Prior to this decision, I had signed an amicus curiae brief in favor of striking down the District of Columbia law as unconstitutional. I also signed a letter to President Bush urging the withdrawal of the Solicitor General's brief, which stated that a prior decision by the Court of Appeals, a victory for gun owners, used the wrong legal standard on Second Amendment rights.

I was proud to cosponsor bill language that was included in the final version of the National Capital Security and Safety Act (H.R. 6842), which passed the House of Representatives on September 16, 2008. This bill repeals the D.C. semi-automatic weapons ban, restores the right of self-defense in the home, and authorizes purchases of firearms by law-abiding D.C. residents through federally approved firearm dealers in Maryland and Virginia. It also repeals the firearm registration requirement currently in place in the District of Columbia. If this bill becomes law, the fundamental right guaranteed in our constitution to own a gun would be restored to law-abiding citizens in our nation's capital. H.R. 6842 currently awaits action in the Senate.

Thank you again for contacting me. Please feel free to do so again regarding any issue of importance to you.

Sincerely,

JOHN KLINE
Member of Congress