Rep. Barton Reacts to President’s Gun Proposal, Vows to Protect Your Second Amendment Rights

By the office of Congressman Joe Barton

Rep. Joe Barton (R-Ennis/Arlington) issued the following statement after President Obama announced his overreaching plan to curb gun violence:

“My thoughts and prayers remain with the victims and families of the tragedy in Newtown. However, taking rights away from responsible citizens will not prevent future horrific events from happening.

“The Obama Administration’s plan amounts to a power grab. I will fight any legislation that further restricts qualified owners’ access to guns. I am also against the President using executive orders to circumvent the will of the people and infringe on the constitutional rights of my constituents.   

“The right to bear arms is guaranteed by the Second Amendment, and when I took my oath of office I swore to defend the Constitution. I believe that violent crime must be reduced, but I will not support measures that infringe upon the rights of law-abiding citizens.

“The Second Amendment entitles you to defend yourself, your family, and your property with a legally obtained firearm. This right is put in jeopardy by the stricter control measures proposed today by the President. The gun control movement hurts honest citizens and businesses, not the criminals who care nothing for the law.  I believe we can better reduce the misuse of firearms by strongly enforcing laws already on the books. We also need to improve our mental health screening system so troubled, violent individuals can be identified and treated more quickly.”