Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch released the following statements after voting on four separate gun proposals in the U.S. Senate:
"It is not surprising that some are trying to use recent tragedy to change the Second Amendment rights in our Constitution," Crapo said. "We must not allow these attacks to result in diminishing the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding Americans."
"Enacting new regulations on guns raises difficult questions about the protection of a constitutionally guaranteed right," said Risch. "No one wants potential terrorists or those who wish us harm to have access to a weapon, but in keeping weapons out of these people's hands it is vital we guarantee law-abiding Americans' rights are not denied without due process. I believe Senators Grassley and Cornyn both offered amendments that thoughtfully balanced the protection of constitutional rights with the need to improve public safety. Their legislation would update and improve our current processes, provide necessary judicial oversight, and defend against an administration that would attempt to overreach its authority."
Both Risch and Crapo voted in favor of the Grassley and Cornyn proposals, and against the Murphy and Feinstein proposals. Of the four proposed amendments, none garnered enough support to pass the Senate.