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.
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.
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.
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?
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……
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.
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…
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!
So rumor has it Gillibrand voted on the wrong side.
But she’s really our friend, right?
…Right?
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.
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
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?