Boehner Signs Discharge Petition to Force Vote on Bipartisan Bill to Enforce Supreme Court Decision on Unconstitutional D.C. Gun Ban

This just in...

WASHINGTON, DC – House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) today signed a discharge petition to force a vote on legislation to enforce the recent Supreme Court ruling declaring the District of Columbia’s gun ban unconstitutional. Rep. Mark Souder (R-IN) is circulating the discharge petition. If it garners 218 signatures, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) would be forced to schedule the bill for a vote on the House floor. The measure – the District of Columbia Personal Protection Act (H.R. 1399) – is sponsored by Democratic Rep. Mike Ross (D-AR) and a bipartisan group of 247 other co-sponsors. Boehner issued the following statement after signing the discharge petition:

“With 247 co-sponsors supporting the legislation to erase Washington, D.C.’s unconstitutional gun ban, I am hopeful that we can reach the necessary 218 Member signatures in short order so Congress can enforce the Supreme Court decision guaranteeing Second Amendment rights for law-abiding residents of the nation’s capital. The District of Columbia undermined those rights for more than three decades, but the Supreme Court correctly restored them and reinforced D.C. residents’ solemn right to keep and bear arms. I urge all of my colleagues, including pro-Second Amendment Members in the Democratic Blue Dog coalition, to join me in signing this petition to ensure Speaker Pelosi will schedule a vote on this vital legislation as soon as possible. It is time for all pro-Second Amendment Members of Congress to put party divisions aside and ensure this important bill reaches the House floor on behalf of law-abiding citizens in our nation’s capital.”

NOTE: H.R. 1399 would block efforts by the District of Columbia government to make gun ownership nearly impossible through new, duplicative, and burdensome provisions. Specifically, the measure would:

Repeal the D.C. handgun ban and the storage requirement that prohibits keeping a firearm ready for self-defense in the home;

Repeal the D.C. registration system, which serves as the vehicle for even more restrictions; and

Restrict the D.C. City Council’s authority to impose burdens on residents’ Second Amendment rights.