On the recordMarch 9, 2021
I thank my friend and colleague, Congressman Biggs, for this Special Order. We swore an oath to defend the Constitution, which includes the Second Amendment. But now, Democrats are going back on that oath by proposing H.R. 8, saying that we should enforce universal background checks on guns. Continuing to put forth far-reaching laws on guns will only significantly increase the burden of the millions of law-abiding Americans who wish to exercise their Second Amendment right to self- defense. In my State of Illinois, Chicago has the fourth-strictest gun laws in the country, but criminal misuse of firearms in Chicago remains at the top of the list. This is because, if there is one thing that we know about criminals, it is that they don't care about obeying the law. The Second Amendment was written to prevent the government from seizing arms. H.R. 8 is an attack on our rights and is one step closer to doing exactly what our Founders were guarding against. We do not need to punish law-abiding citizens. Instead, we should do all we can to cherish and protect this right that we are so blessed to have.
