Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Mike Enzi and John Barrasso, both R-Wyo., praised House passage of a bill preserving Second Amendment rights in the District of Columbia today. 

“With its landmark June ruling, the highest court in the land left no doubt that the Second Amendment is a fundamental American right to be honored across this great nation.  I applaud the House for going to bat for District residents and protecting their right to own and carry guns,” Enzi said.

“The Supreme Court got it right, D.C. continues to get it wrong.  The Second Amendment is a way of life in Wyoming.  No American, whether they are in Dubois or the District of Columbia should be denied the individual right to keep and bear arms.  As a life member of the National Rifle Association, I urge the Senate to protect the Second Amendment and pass the bipartisan legislation without delay,” Barrasso said.

In June, the Supreme Court ruled the District’s 32-year-old handgun ban unconstitutional, and in response, the District of Columbia City Council passed emergency legislation to enact additional gun control regulations.  The Second Amendment Enforcement Act, which the House approved 266 to 152 today as an amendment to the National Capital Security and Safety Act (H.R. 6842), overturns those emergency measures and allows for nearly unrestricted gun laws throughout the District.

Enzi and Barrasso also joined their fellow senators today in writing a letter to Senate leadership, urging them to bring up the Second Amendment Enforcement Act for prompt consideration in the Senate.