Crapo: Firearms Rights Reaffirmed

Washington, D.C. - Today's U.S. Supreme Court ruling again confirming Americans' constitutional right to keep and bear arms should be seen as significant for those who seek to restrict firearm ownership, said Idaho Senator Mike Crapo. The latest ruling on Second Amendment rights struck down local laws to restrict firearms owners in the Chicago area, and comes after a previous ruling two years ago (District of Columbia vs. Heller) that struck down a local law in Washington, D.C. to restrict the ownership of guns.

"These are significant court rulings that should remind those who seek to restrict the Second Amendment that the framers of the Constitution made it clear about the rights of an American citizen to own firearms-those rights are not to be abridged," said Crapo, who has worked in the Senate to defend the rights of law-abiding Americans to possess firearms, including the right to possess firearms while traveling across federally-owned lands.

Crapo noted today's ruling should underscore the importance of efforts in the Senate to discern potential beliefs that Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan (the current U.S. Solicitor General) might have regarding firearms restrictions. "It is imperative that the Senate do its due diligence on Kagan's position regarding the right to keep and bear arms. These recent rulings by the Supreme Court make clear the right to keep and bear arms under the Second Amendment to our Constitution. We need to ensure that future members of the Court understand those Constitutional rights."

The Senate Judiciary Committee begins hearings on Kagan's nomination this week.