New York/United States – -(AmmoLand.com)- One thing that Second Amendment supporters need to take from the COVID-19 pandemic is the fact that public health can be used to really go after liberty. In fact, we know that more than anyone based on experience. Anyone remember the Handgun Epidemic Lowering Plan? Andrew Cuomo’s just unveiled measures now, including signing legislation that legalizes suing gun manufacturers.
It goes without saying that we could see an effort to target our Second Amendment rights via the declaration of a “public health” emergency. The good news is that Senator Mike Braun (R-IN) has introduced S 1916, the Protecting the Right To Keep and Bear Arms Act of 2021, cutting this move off at the federal level.
This legislation expands on a list of prohibitions passed in the wake of gun confiscation after Hurricane Katrina. It would make it illegal for the President to use a declaration of emergency or major disaster to enact gun control measures. In addition, the Secretary of Health and Human Services would be prohibited from using a declaration that a public health emergency exists to enact gun control measures by executive fiat.
Could we put it past the Biden regime to do that? We probably can’t, and it’s an open question about who really runs things. So, what needs to be done is to tie the hands of the executive – ideally before they can try such a stunt.
The good news is that the legislation is not that big of a read, two pages as a PDF. This makes it a very easy one to print out and share at your local gun club. More importantly, in an era where it seems that government officials act unilaterally, this legislation can help cut it off at the pass.
Second Amendment supporters should keep in mind that this only cuts off federal action. This sort of move could also be made at the state level, and Cuomo has demonstrated a known animus towards groups who try to protect our Second Amendment rights. But a federal bill is a good start.
As of this writing, 24 Senators have co-sponsored this bill. This list includes Senators Tim Scott (R-SC), Ted Cruz (R-TX), and Rick Scott (R-FL), all of whom could be seeking national office in 2024 or later years. On the flip side, a couple of purported Second Amendment supporters in the Senate, Jon Tester (D-MT) and Joe Manchin (D-WV) have not signed on yet.
Second Amendment supporters should politely urge their Senators and Representative to support this legislation. Those who live in Montana and West Virginia should ask a few pointed questions to Tester and Manchin in particular. Most importantly, they will need to work to defeat anti-Second Amendment extremists at the ballot box at the federal, state, and local level.
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.
Where was this legislation for the past how many years since Katrina? This is another example of BS feel good red meat legislation that has zero chance in passing, no matter how it may be needed. Republicans are a waste of space, whining when not in power and introducing bills that won’t pass, but when they are in power, those same bills are nowhere to be seen. Go ahead and call your reps and senators, and while you are at it, ask them why they didn’t pass this when we had the House, Senate and Presidency, along with the silencer… Read more »
The 2nd. Amendment is clear, we should not need a law to enforce it.
True, but when attacked, it defends itself ultimately. It will absorb all attacks up to a point, then the attackers wiII wish they hadn’t tried.
Excellent point!
Good article Harold; I knew you had it in you.
If I remember right Senator Mike Braun (R-IN) has done some things like voting against what Trump wanted to do & this is just another feel good piece of law that he’s using to try & save some face for himself that will go nowhere in Biden regime of tyranny! Nice try Mike, now go back where you came from!!!
If you look on the gov’t website, you will note that this bill was introduced on May 27. Not much fanfare or activity on it since then…