Ron DeSantis ~ Good News on Gun Rights & Your Right to Bear Arms

Opinion

New York – -(AmmoLand.com)- Representative Ron DeSantis (R-FL) has been in the news lately with his run to Be Florida’s Governor, a mostly over a trumped-up charge of racism. But those of us in the Second Amendment community will want to know where he stands on the many issues surrounding our right to keep and bear arms. There is a lot of good news on that front.

First, a little background. DeSantis served three terms in the House of Representatives, starting in January 2013. During that time, he represented the 6th Congressional District. According to Ballotpedia, that district encompasses the cities of Palm Coast, Daytona Beach, and St. Augustine. A 2016 bid for a United States Senate seat ended when Marco Rubio decided to run for a second term after his failed presidential bid.

During his time in Congress, he has generated very good ratings from both the National Rifle Association and Gun Owners of America, according to Project Vote Smart. His lowest rating from either group was an 83% rating from GOA in 2012, the first year he ran for office. But it’s not just about the votes on legislation.

Ron DeSantis on Gun Rights

Early in his career, he took on Democrat Senator Richard Durbin, who was targeting the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). Durbin, then the Senate Majority Whip, sent letters to companies, demanding to know if they were supporting ALEC or had done so in the past, and whether they supported “Stand Your Ground” laws. Durbin also stated he would make the answers public.

Folks, we know what Durbin was up to, – it was an attempt to defund an organization that was pro-Second Amendment. ALEC had become a boogeyman of the Left, providing a limited-government perspective on a host of issues, and doing so very effectively. Ron DeSantis labeled Durbin’s actions an “abuse of power” that served as an “attempt to intimidate individuals and businesses from supporting causes that run counter to liberal policies.”

Similarly, he called for the Obama Administration to release documents on Operation Fast and Furious, the botched effort to track firearms that resulted in a murdered Border Patrol agent, and fought efforts to fund the UN Arms Trade Treaty.

He also voted in 2014 to prohibit the District of Columbia from enacting a number of gun laws, including a new registration scheme, a requirement for gun owners to be photographed and fingerprinted like criminals, and a 10-day waiting period (why impose a waiting period if someone passed a background check?). He was supported by 240 of his colleagues.

In 2017, he voted to kill a regulation that imposed an inability to own firearms on those who were not able to manage federal financial benefits. He also supported HR 1181, the Veterans Second Amendment Protection Act and HR 38, the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act.

In the wake of the Parkland shooting. DeSantis supported HR 4049, the Stop School Violence Act of 2018, which provided grants to improve security at schools. However, he also stood against new restrictions that were enacted into law by Governor Rick Scott, saying he would have vetoed them. He also has stated he would have removed Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel from office over the failures of the Broward County Sheriff’s Office to deal with the shooter despite dozens of responses.

In short, those who value our Second Amendment rights have a champion in Ron DeSantis. To make sure he is elected, and can defend those rights, join the NRA, support NRA-ILA and NRA-PVF, and vote on November 6th, 2018!

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About Harold Hutchison

Writer Harold Hutchison has more than a dozen years of experience covering military affairs, international events, U.S. politics, and Second Amendment issues. Harold was consulting senior editor at Soldier of Fortune magazine and is the author of the novel Strike Group Reagan. He has also written for the Daily Caller, National Review, Patriot Post, Strategypage.com, and other national websites.