Byrne leads major national effort to defend Second Amendment rights

Congressman Bradley Byrne (AL-01) on Tuesday led 120 of his colleagues in filing an amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court in defense of Second Amendment rights.

The case, N.Y. State Rifle & Pistol Association Inc. v. City of New York, will determine if the state of New York’s ban on transporting a handgun to a home or shooting range outside city limits is constitutional.

“Our Constitution is clear: the right to bear arms shall not be infringed,” Byrne said in a statement.

The National Rifle Association (NRA) and Gun Owners of America have endorsed Byrne’s efforts in this endeavor. All Republicans in the Alabama House delegation signed onto the amicus brief.

“The Second Amendment enshrines an individual and fundamental right of citizens to protect themselves from violence and tyranny,” Byrne emphasized. “Courts should block attempts to restrict those rights based on disingenuous arguments like those made by the City of New York. My colleagues and I call on the Supreme Court to uphold the Constitution and protect the rights of American citizens to own firearms.”

This marks the first significant Second Amendment case before the highest court in the land in almost a decade, and it will give the newly shaped Supreme Court their first opportunity to address recent controversial actions by Democrat-controlled legislatures and activist judges regarding Second Amendment rights.

Byrne advised, “With the Supreme Court set to take up the first significant Second Amendment case in nearly ten years, this will be the first time that President Trump’s nominees, Justices Gorsuch and Kavanaugh, will get a chance to rule on the Constitutional right to bear arms. It is vital that the Court use this opportunity to rein in out of control liberal legislatures and judges who are trying to destroy the Second Amendment rights of Americans.” 

Update 5:50 p.m.:

Chris W. Cox, executive director of NRA-ILA (the NRA’s governmental affairs arm), released a statement supporting Byrne’s pro-Second Amendment leadership.

“The importance of the Supreme Court’s decision to hear this case cannot be overstated, it sets the stage for affirming the individual right to self-defense outside of the home,” Cox said. “On behalf of our five million members, we thank Representative Byrne for his leadership role in filing the amicus brief supporting the NRA’s efforts to overturn New York City’s unconstitutional ordinance.”

Sean Ross is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn