Matt Rosendale: “I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to the extreme gun control measures being…”

“I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to the extreme gun control measures being pushed by the Democratic majority. Make no mistake, they are extreme and an assault on our freedoms. The Second Amendment guarantees the right of every American to keep and bear arms. I am proud to be from the State with the highest rate of gun ownership in the Nation. In Montana, law-abiding gun owners use firearms every day and exercise their God-given liberties. Mr. Speaker, the bills in the House this week serve only to punish responsible gun owners and take away the Second Amendment rights of Montanans. H.R. 8 would not just require background checks for the sale of firearms but for changes of ownership and even the most temporary transfers of possession. Someone who simply hands a firearm to another person could be subject to a year in prison and a $100,000 fine. This would include the rancher who lends his gun to a neighbor whose cattle are being harassed by coyotes or to the hunter who lends a rifle to a buddy who is going on a hunting trip. This is deeply troubling, as these scenarios are very common in Montana. H.R. 1446 is just as bad. While it claims to close a gun-buying loophole, it would give the FBI discretion to delay firearm purchases or transfers indefinitely and could even put the burden on law-abiding citizens to prove that they are eligible to purchase a firearm.…”