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Dear Mr. <redacted>:

Thank you for contacting me regarding your support for the second amendment. I appreciate knowing your views.

I fully support the Second Amendment and believe it is critical to ensure the federal government does not pass laws that infringe on a citizen's right to keep and bear arms. The 2008 Supreme Court ruling that reaffirmed that Americans have a right to own firearms for personal use was a positive step towards this goal, and in the June 2010 ruling, the Supreme Court affirmed that the right to keep and bear arms is among our fundamental rights.

You can be certain I will continue to work to uphold the Second Amendment. Eligible law-abiding citizens should have the right to purchase and own firearms. With more than 20,000 local, state and federal gun laws on the books, it is clear that more gun control laws are not the answer to eliminating gun violence. Instead of imposing new, onerous restrictions on gun ownership, the best means of reducing crimes committed with firearms is to enforce existing laws against these crimes and fully prosecute those who use guns to commit crimes. This is why I support the following pieces of pending legislation:

· H.R. 822: The National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act of 2011 – This legislation would establish a national standard for the carrying of concealed firearms by authorizing a person who has a valid permit to carry a concealed firearm in one state and who is not prohibited from carrying a firearm under federal law to carry a concealed firearm in another state in accordance with the restrictions of that state or as specified under this Act.
· H.R. 420: Veterans' Heritage Firearms Act - This bill would provide a 90-day amnesty period during which veterans and their family members could register firearms acquired overseas between June 26, 1934 and October 31, 1968, without fear of prosecution. Congress granted a limited amnesty in 1968, but many veterans did not receive enough notice to participate. The bill would not apply to all firearms brought home by veterans. The only firearms that normally have to be registered at the federal level are those subject to the National Firearms Act. More common trophies, such as bolt-action rifles or semi-automatic pistols, need not be registered.
· H.R. 58: Firearms Interstate Commerce Reform Act - This bill would remove several antiquated and unnecessary restrictions imposed on interstate firearms business such as: (1) the ban on interstate transfers directly between private citizens and licensed dealers and (2) the requirement that firearms dealers only do business at their licensed premises or at gun shows in their own state.

Please know that I remain strongly opposed to legislation that attempts to infringe upon our constitutional right to own a firearm. Keeping honest citizens from owning a firearm in no way impairs a criminal's ability to obtain a weapon. I have consistently received an "A" rating from the National Rifle Association and the Gun Owners of America for my voting record on the right to bear arms.

Thank you for taking the time to get in touch with me. Your interest and input are valued and I hope to hear from you in the future regarding other matters of importance. I encourage you to visit my website and sign-up for my monthly e-newsletter at http://www.samjohnson.house.gov" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; to learn more about other issues impacting the 3rd District of Texas.


Sincerely,



SAM JOHNSON.
Member of Congress