Washington, D.C. – Gun show restrictions, mandatory purchase of safety locks and renewal of the Clinton gun ban, prevented U.S. Senator Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., from voting in favor of legislation that otherwise was good for Second Amendment freedoms.

"Political maneuvering made it possible for some bad provisions to worm their way into this legislation. Second Amendment freedoms are central to the people of Wyoming and to me personally. I could not support the bill with these gun control provisions included in it. I'm disappointed gun control advocates were able to burden this bill to such an extent that I could no longer support it," Enzi said.

Enzi was forced to vote against the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, S. 1805, legislation he cosponsored, by the addition of gun control amendments. The bill failed by a vote of 8-90. The bill would have blocked politically-motivated lawsuits that seek to hold gun makers liable for the criminal misuse of their products. It would not, however, have protected them from traditional, legitimate product liability suits.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., was responsible for the amendment that reauthorized the assault weapons ban included in the Brady Bill. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., authored the amendment that would make it unlawful to sell a firearm without a gun lock. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., was responsible for the amendment that would require background checks for purchases at gun shows.

Enzi praised the passage of an amendment offered by Sen. Ben Campbell, R-Colo. That amendment would have allowed qualified retired and off-duty law enforcement officers to carry concealed weapons in nearly all states and jurisdictions.

Before the Feinstein, McCain and Boxer gun control amendments were added, Enzi lauded the merits of the underlying bill.

"Gun control advocates have met resistance legislatively so they are taking aim at gun manufacturers by trying to bankrupt them through lawsuits. These types of lawsuits are reckless and baseless. Would we allow someone to sue the maker of a baseball bat if it was used in an attack? This regulation by litigation has to stop because it is not only unjust, but it also threatens the very health of an industry that sells a useful and legal product," said Enzi, who co-chairs the Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus. "Unless they are stopped, these frivolous lawsuits will continue to take time and resources away from more legitimate ways of addressing the violence in our cities and towns. Harassing the manufacturers of firearms will not end the cycle of violence on our streets. It will, however, eliminate a lot of jobs and probably put a lot of small gun shops out of business. It's not possible to ‘sue' crime out of existence by targeting the innocent business people of our country."