October 23, 2008
Mr.
(name/address deleted)
Dear xyz:
Thank you for contacting me regarding Second Amendment rights and the actions of the District of Columbia. It is good to hear from you.
As you may know, several pieces of legislation have been introduced in the 110th Congress that would amend or clarify the Supreme Court's decision in District of Columbia v. Heller. I have noted your support for legislation ensuring the Second Amendment rights of the citizens of our nation's Capitol.
You may be interested to learn that the D.C. Council recently enacted temporary legislation in an effort to adhere to the recent United States Supreme Court decision, which held that the city's 1976 handgun ban violates the Constitutional right to bear arms. The
Firearms Control Temporary Amendment Act of 2008 (A17-0536), which was enacted on October 20, 2008, by the D.C. City Council and Mayor Adrian Fenty, outlines the rules for registering and storing handguns in the District. This legislation will remain in effect no longer than 225 days, including a sixty-day period of Congressional review. The city will pass permanent legislation before the end of the 225 day period. I will continue to monitor this situation closely while keeping your thoughts in mind.
As a gun owner, I believe that law abiding citizens have a constitutional right to keep and bear arms. We must work to protect this right by enforcing gun safety laws that keep guns away from terrorists and criminals. However, the rights of responsible gun owners should not be compromised by individuals who use firearms unlawfully. The overwhelming majority of Nevadan gun owners use their guns safely, and you can be certain that I will use my leadership position to work in a bipartisan fashion to protect their rights.
Again, thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with me. For more information about my work for Nevada, my role in the United States Senate Leadership, or to subscribe to regular e-mail updates on the issues that interest you, please visit my Web site at
http://reid.senate.gov. I look forward to hearing from you in the near future.
My best wishes to you.
Sincerely,
A
HARRY REID
United States Senator
Nevada
HR:cs
