Washington, DC – January 17, 2012 – (RealEstateRama) — Rep. Louie Gohmert (TX-01) released the following statement today concerning President Obama’s sweeping gun proposals which include banning the sale of certain guns and preventing the ability of a homeowner under attack to protect his family from felons who do not heed restrictions on guns or magazines:
“Most of the 23 items in President Obama’s executive orders today are not on their face particularly troublesome, although doctors and insurance companies should not be encouraged to intrude, probe or spy into Americans’ private lives for the government. The President’s 23 executive actions are estimated to cost, according to various media outlets, about $500 million without accomplishing anything substantive.
One of the four children, sitting on stage with President Obama at the press conference today, was from Washington, DC, where, like Chicago, there has been a complete gun ban that has made her city and Chicago two of the most dangerous cities in the country. There is nothing the President has asked Congress to do that will make Washington, DC or Chicago any more restrictive than the bans they already have, and those bans made them more dangerous.
One child asked that people not be allowed to have machine guns, and the President knowingly or unwittingly, seems to also foster the lie that anyone can buy a machine gun. This is not true. The purchase or possession of machine guns is severely restricted. I could not buy one. What the President is proposing is basically a ban on guns that look dangerous, though there are guns that are far more lethal than others he is not proposing to limit.
Tragedies such as the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary are heartbreaking, but it is adds to the travesty when a politician grandstands with proposals that have already been proven completely ineffective. My heart continues to hurt for the families who lost children and family members that day. However, the answer is not infringing on our Constitutional rights.
When armed intruders break into homes, the women or men relying on a gun to protect their family should not have to worry about the restrictions on how many rounds they can have in a clip or magazine. Criminals do not worry about complying with the law –they are criminals.
Mental health issues that have languished for decades may be a fertile ground for bipartisan efforts to make a true difference. Perhaps, a good first step toward curbing gun violence may well be rebuilding the sanctity and importance of the family and the home where there can be education, training and an honest conversation about guns, without treading on the Constitutional protections from criminals intent on invading the home.”
Congressman Louie Gohmert is the Vice Chair of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security. Prior to being elected to serve in Congress, Louie was elected to three terms as District Judge in Smith County, Texas and also served as Chief Justice of Texas’12th Court of Appeals.
Contact:
Kimberly Willingham (202) 225-3035
Jonna Fitzgerald (903) 561-6349
