Breaking News: DC Gun Bill Back in Play

I’m told that there’s been a pro-gun amendment attached to the bill giving DC representation in Congress. It basically guts Washington DC gun control regulations, and preempts City Council from further regulation. The amendment passed 62-36.

I am also hearing that Holder’s comments were instrumental in helping bring this issue back up, and picking up the votes it needed. So thanks Eric! We really appreciate the help getting this amendment tacked on to a must-pass bill for the Democrats!

This bill is too important for the Democrats for Obama not to sign it. It is a giveaway to an important political constituency, the part of it that gives DC representation is also completely unconstitutional to boot! So that part is likely to be thrown out by the courts.

Looks like today has gone from gloomy to pretty good!

UPDATE: Yep, NRA confirms there’s indeed been a vote.  If DC wants representation, they have to follow the Constitution.

UPDATE: Final bill passes the Senate with 61 votes.

14 thoughts on “Breaking News: DC Gun Bill Back in Play”

  1. When has the law ever stopped any of this illegal stuff from going through? If DC does get a seat not only will it not be contested and not founld illegal. If it is contested in the courts the courts will let DC still have representation and if not the obama and his criminal cabinet will just push a bill to make it legal.

  2. Shawn,

    The constitution doesn’t make any provision for DC to have representation. It’s not a guarantee it’ll get thrown out, but there’s not much living constitutional weasel room on this issue. The constitution is pretty unambiguous about it.

  3. When can puerto rico and the rest of the 57 states expect representation and to have their rights taken away like the rest of us?

  4. As a liberal Dem gun owner in DC, THANK YOU!! This is the first “commonsense” gun bill I’ve seen.

    Now on to the House……

  5. The thing is, even if the representation thing does get thrown out (which would suck), it doesn’ t necessarily mean that the 2A portion would.

  6. Might the 2A portion of the bill have some bearing on incorporation of 2a by the states?

    DC should not be a voting entity, Constitution is clear about that, but you can’t have it both ways, if they get a vote, they have to follow 2A…and other voting entities logically would have to.

    Has some disarmament nut in Congress really stepped on their wanker with this?

    Hope, hope, hope…

  7. Even with this provision tacked on I cannot support this bill. I would be poetic justice for this bill to pass and the Supreme Court nullify the unconstitutional provisions of representation for DC leaving the Pro-Gun part in tact.

    As far as I can see there are only one RIGHT way to get the residents of DC presentation. Count DC residents as part of Maryland!

  8. John,

    I can confirm the rumor. I will post about it later today. Needless to say I’m not happy with her over this vote.

  9. Check out the votes …

    http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=111&session=1&vote=00072

    Question: On the Amendment (Ensign Amdt. No. 575 )
    Vote Date: February 26, 2009, 03:52 PM
    Vote Counts: YEAs 62 NAYs 36 Not Voting 1

    Grouped by Home State

    Alabama: Sessions (R-AL), Yea Shelby (R-AL), Yea
    Alaska: Begich (D-AK), Yea Murkowski (R-AK), Yea
    Arizona: Kyl (R-AZ), Yea McCain (R-AZ), Yea
    Arkansas: Lincoln (D-AR), Yea Pryor (D-AR), Yea
    California: Boxer (D-CA), Nay Feinstein (D-CA), Nay
    Colorado: Bennet (D-CO), Yea Udall (D-CO), Yea
    Connecticut: Dodd (D-CT), Nay Lieberman (ID-CT), Nay
    Delaware: Carper (D-DE), Nay Kaufman (D-DE), Nay
    Florida: Martinez (R-FL), Yea Nelson (D-FL), Nay
    Georgia: Chambliss (R-GA), Yea Isakson (R-GA), Yea
    Hawaii: Akaka (D-HI), Nay Inouye (D-HI), Nay
    Idaho: Crapo (R-ID), Yea Risch (R-ID), Yea
    Illinois: Burris (D-IL), Nay Durbin (D-IL), Nay
    Indiana: Bayh (D-IN), Yea Lugar (R-IN), Nay
    Iowa: Grassley (R-IA), Yea Harkin (D-IA), Nay
    Kansas: Brownback (R-KS), Yea Roberts (R-KS), Yea
    Kentucky: Bunning (R-KY), Yea McConnell (R-KY), Yea
    Louisiana: Landrieu (D-LA), Yea Vitter (R-LA), Yea
    Maine: Collins (R-ME), Yea Snowe (R-ME), Yea
    Maryland: Cardin (D-MD), Nay Mikulski (D-MD), Nay
    Massachusetts: Kennedy (D-MA), Not Voting Kerry (D-MA), Nay
    Michigan: Levin (D-MI), Nay Stabenow (D-MI), Nay
    Minnesota: Klobuchar (D-MN), Nay
    Mississippi: Cochran (R-MS), Yea Wicker (R-MS), Yea
    Missouri: Bond (R-MO), Yea McCaskill (D-MO), Yea
    Montana: Baucus (D-MT), Yea Tester (D-MT), Yea
    Nebraska: Johanns (R-NE), Yea Nelson (D-NE), Yea
    Nevada: Ensign (R-NV), Yea Reid (D-NV), Yea
    New Hampshire: Gregg (R-NH), Yea Shaheen (D-NH), Nay
    New Jersey: Lautenberg (D-NJ), Nay Menendez (D-NJ), Nay
    New Mexico: Bingaman (D-NM), Nay Udall (D-NM), Yea
    New York: Gillibrand (D-NY), Nay Schumer (D-NY), Nay
    North Carolina: Burr (R-NC), Yea Hagan (D-NC), Yea
    North Dakota: Conrad (D-ND), Yea Dorgan (D-ND), Yea
    Ohio: Brown (D-OH), Nay Voinovich (R-OH), Yea
    Oklahoma: Coburn (R-OK), Yea Inhofe (R-OK), Yea
    Oregon: Merkley (D-OR), Nay Wyden (D-OR), Nay
    Pennsylvania: Casey (D-PA), Yea Specter (R-PA), Yea
    Rhode Island: Reed (D-RI), Nay Whitehouse (D-RI), Nay
    South Carolina: DeMint (R-SC), Yea Graham (R-SC), Yea
    South Dakota: Johnson (D-SD), Yea Thune (R-SD), Yea
    Tennessee: Alexander (R-TN), Yea Corker (R-TN), Yea
    Texas: Cornyn (R-TX), Yea Hutchison (R-TX), Yea
    Utah: Bennett (R-UT), Yea Hatch (R-UT), Yea
    Vermont: Leahy (D-VT), Nay Sanders (I-VT), Nay
    Virginia: Warner (D-VA), Yea Webb (D-VA), Yea
    Washington: Cantwell (D-WA), Nay Murray (D-WA), Nay
    West Virginia: Byrd (D-WV), Yea Rockefeller (D-WV), Nay
    Wisconsin: Feingold (D-WI), Yea Kohl (D-WI), Nay
    Wyoming: Barrasso (R-WY), Yea Enzi (R-WY), Yea

  10. I note that S. 160 has a severability clause. Is there any chance that the provision granting DC a seat will be upheld, or that the Second Amendment Enforcement Act won’t?

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