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Here is Congressman DonYoung's response to me concerning HR. 5434 for National Parks...
Thank you for contacting me about the National Park Service's ban on carrying weapons in National Parks. I appreciate hearing from you on this important issue. As Alaska's Representative in Congress for thirty-five years, I have sponsored and cosponsored many bills and resolutions that ensure a law-abiding citizen's right to own firearms. I believe the original intent of the Second Amendment was to protect each individual's right to keep and bear arms and I will continue to defend that right.
As you know, the National Park Service (NPS) currently bans the carrying of any firearms within National Parks for safety reasons and to prevent poaching of animals. This rule, however, prevents even those who have firearm licenses from carrying their weapons. Those who are licensed to carry firearms for their safety should be able to do so. It is for this reason that I asked Representative Nick Rahall, the Chairmen of the Natural Resources Committee to join me in a letter asking the Secretary of the Interior to change this rule.
Due to this letter, pressure from the Senate and legislation introduced in Congress, including H.R. 5434, the Protecting Americans from Violent Crime Act, which I am a cosponsor of, and which would prohibit the NPS from creating and enforcing regulations that infringe on 2nd Amendment rights, Secretary Kempthorne has stated that the Department of the Interior will review and amend these regulations.
Rest assured that I will continue to aggressively monitor this situation to ensure that Americans' Second Amendment rights are not infringed upon. And should H.R. 5434 come to the House floor for a vote I will certainly support it.
Once again, thank you for expressing your views on this issue. If you haven't already, I would encourage you to sign up for my e-newsletter at
http://donyoung.house.gov/IMA/issue_subscribe.htm and my YouTube channel at
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=RepDonYoung.Doing sowill allow me to provide you with updates on this and other important issues. If I can be of any assistance in the future, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely,
DON YOUNG
Congressman for All Alaska