By John R. Carter

As a proud member of the Congressional Second Amendment Caucus with an A+ rating from the NRA, I am honored to be at the forefront of efforts to secure firearm ownership and defend our Second Amendment rights. Sadly, I can’t count President Obama as an ally in these efforts.

This past week, President Obama once again sought to disregard the will of the people, and the will of Congress.  Through executive actions, this President has needlessly increased reporting requirements on the firearm industry and threatened to unleash hundreds of new federal agents to investigate law abiding citizens. Once again, the President has attempted to rule by executive decree as opposed to respecting our system of government that includes three separate, but equal, branches of government.

While the President knows he can’t take Americans’ guns, he is relentless in his pursuit to make the process so burdensome that no American can afford to obtain a new firearm. Yet in the face of this onslaught from the White House, we have had real wins in the past year in support of our Second Amendment rights. 

First, I secured language in the National Defense Authorization Act which empowers military installation commanders to allow soldiers to carry a concealed weapon on base. Secondly, I worked with my colleagues to block the President from banning the M855 “green tip” ammunition used in the AR-15 rifle. Additionally, the ATF dropped the needless requirement for local law enforcement to sign off before a law-abiding citizen can take possession of firearms regulated by the National Firearms Act. We also succeeded in ensuring those purchasing firearms through trusts can continue the free exercise of their constitutionally guaranteed rights. 

Sadly, the President doesn’t know what we Texans do: further limiting the gun rights of law-abiding citizens unreasonably burdens and infringes upon constitutional rights protected by the Second Amendment and does nothing to prevent gun violence or criminals from possessing firearms. I will not stand by and let this President try to suppress our Second Amendment rights.

Texans and Americans have sent a clear message, “hands off our guns.” Yet the President isn’t listening or can’t understand the Constitution as he sits in the Oval Office protected by the very firearms he endeavors to limit and confiscate from Americans under the guise of gun safety. 

As Central Texans, we know and understand the value of respecting the Constitution. I will continue to fight for our Second Amendment rights in Congress, and will work with my colleagues to end the President’s outrageous abuse of power as he continues trying to trample on our rights.

John R. Carter is a Republican and represents Texas District 31 in the U.S. House of Representatives, which includes Fort Hood, the largest military installation in the free world. He serves as Chairman of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Appropriations, is on the Subcommittee for Commerce, Justice and Science and the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee. 

###