WASHINGTON – -(Ammoland.com)- U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) took a firm position on Capitol Hill during two days of confirmation testimony for his nomination to be the next attorney general of the United States.
The National Shooting Sports Foundation urged Sessions’ confirmation due to his commitment to gun ownership rights, respect for the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act and vow to enforce the gun laws already on the books.
A letter of support from NSSF’s Lawrence Keane, senior vice president and general counsel, was entered into the Senate record.
Sessions testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee on a wide range of topics. The former Attorney General for Alabama and U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama was clear on his stance with regard to guns.
Sessions made it clear to his fellow senators the Second Amendment would be respected as an individual right by the Trump administration.
“Well, I do believe the Second Amendment is a personal right,” Sessions said in response to questions. “It’s an historic right of the American people, and the Constitution protects that and explicitly states that. It’s just as much a part of the Constitution as any of the other great rights and liberties that we value. So my record is pretty clear on that.”
Sessions also took a stand against universal background checks, telling the committee that laws already on the books need to be effectively enforced. The idea of applying universal background checks to every gun transfer is not only unfeasible, but intrusive.
“Well, I believe in background check laws and many of them are appropriate,” Sessions explained. “But, in every instance – there’s some instances when it’s not practical, let’s say. For example somebody inherited a gun from their grandfather. Those transactions I’m not sure should require that kind of universal background check.”
Sessions also testified that obstructive practices against the firearms industry would become a thing of the past. He was questioned by fellow senators on Operations Fast and Furious and Choke Point as examples of overreach by the attorney general’s office saying, “… I do believe it has a corrosive effect on public confidence in the constitutional republic of which we are sworn to uphold.”
Sessions responded to concerns from Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) that Congress is still unable to determine if Operation Choke Point, an effort by the Department of Justice to lean on financial institutions to discriminate against businesses in the gun industry, has actually stopped. NSSF has worked with members in both the House of Representatives and the Senate to end the practice and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) issued a letter to banking and finance institutions to stop denying banking services based on broad categories versus financial risk.
Sessions told Crapo, “… a lawful business should not be attacked by having other lawful businesses pressured not to do business with the first business. That’s, to me – it would be hard to justify.”
Sessions vowed to the Senate committee that scapegoating the firearms industry and lawful gun owners for the use of guns in crimes committed by individuals would come to an end.
Sessions pointed to his own record as attorney general and the successes in Operations Trigger Lock and Project Exile where the might of the federal government should be wielded to vigorously prosecute those who commit crimes with guns.
“The first and foremost goal I think of law enforcement would be to identify persons who are dangerous, who have a tendency or have been proven to be law breakers and been convicted and those who are caught carrying guns during the commission of a crime,” he explained.
“If I am confirmed, we will systematically prosecute criminals who use guns in committing crimes,” Sessions added. “As United States attorney, my office was a national leader in gun prosecutions nearly every year. We were partner with state and local law enforcement to take down these major drug trafficking cartels and dismantle criminal gangs.”
About NSSF The National Shooting Sports Foundation is the trade association for the firearms industry. Its mission is to promote, protect and preserve hunting and the shooting sports. Formed in 1961, NSSF has a membership of more than 6,000 manufacturers, distributors, firearms retailers, shooting ranges, sportsmen’s organizations and publishers. For more information, log on to www.nssf.org.
So, how do all of you commenters feel about Sessions now that he has been in there for 14 months?
Seems he hasn’t done any of the things that we wanted him to but has shown his true colors on the asset seizure, the marijuana legalization question and the gun grabbing stuff going on now.
It has been point out to me that, re Sessions and his faults, that re his pro Second Amendment stance, the question to ask is the following. Who would I prefer? Other than to say that I like Sessions for his pro Second Amendment orientation, though other aspects are problematic, it is a good question, one that I do not have an answer to or for, in-so-far as being able to point to some particular person. Perhaps there is something to the old saw about getting someone who is good, an attainable end, as opposed to getting someone who is… Read more »
Why would ammoland or the bulk of Commenters here fail to report/acknowledge that Sessions also stood firm on federal government intrusions into gun issues? Namely, Projects Triggerlock and Exile. Are y’all supportive of federal prosecutions and federally-mandated mandatory minimum sentencing for local crimes? If you are, that would seem mutually-exclusive to also being supportive of states’ rights issues, and if that’s true, then you’re not supportive of The Constitution and/or Bill of Rights and/or Second Amendment specifically. Sessions is not what y’all portray in this piece. He is one of Congress’ top supporters of the police and surveillance state. He’s… Read more »
AG Sessions,or soon to be.I would like to have him to try his best to his ability to Repeal the NY state (unsafe)act and give the residents of NY back out 2nd Amendment Rights.
I have been a NRA member for many decades. I am of the opinion that we are better off with them than without them. I never joined for life because I didn’t know what they might become. I have been married for 60 years next month. My wife has endured my imperfections and stayed with me. We haven’t been in agreement on all issues but I am so thankful she didn’t demand perfection.
By the way, re all the verbiage, the polemics about Senator Sessions and the possibility of his being confirmed as U.S. Attorney General, the gentleman has some baggage that is much discussed. Interestingly, some of the baggage, equally if not more troubling, is strangely unmentioned, his stated position re Asset Forfeiture aka CIvil Asset Forfeiture or as I prefer, Theft Under Color of Law, for instance. Just think gentlemen, how the Asset Forfeiturers would salivate over that gun collection of yours, that pristine Model 12 shotgun, your National Match Garand Rifle or National Match 1911 Pistol, I could go, on… Read more »
To Darren
I think I understand where you are coming from but as for me and my house we shall sever our Lord. And I will use all means necessary to protect my family and my home against all enemies both foreign and domestic.
I don’t understand the fact that some of us would like to erdicate background checks when purchasing a firearm. if we do so, all criminal elements would have a feast buying all kinds of guns. i know that they can buy this from the underworld but it would cost them so many times the price when you buy this legally from a store. and besides, all these illegal guns are not as efficient as the new ones. let those background checks be and just allow people without criminal records enjoy the right to bear arms legally.
The “strong stand” pro gun rights one assumes, is good to hear re the Sessions nomination, however I find two things troubling. 1. How come, it seems, that none of the several opponents of his nomination have mentioned his stated position in favor of Asset Forfeiture, aka Civil Asset Forfeiture or as I prefer, Theft Under Color of Law? 2. Need I mention that in a case where YOU were a victim of this scam, Asset Forfeiture, the seizers would absolutely drool over those lovely guns of yours. Try getting them returned. In the same condition as when they were… Read more »
Well everyone Trump is not in yet. This is just a start give the new president tlme. Because Trump said he was going to strike all the laws from obozo. THEN get to work on the other laws instead of bitching about it. Give the new pres time.