Press Releases
Representative Massie Introduces Bill Allowing Voting-Age Adults to Purchase Handguns
Washington, DC,
April 28, 2021
Tags:
2nd Amendment
For Immediate Release "Why should a 20-year-old single mom be denied the right to defend herself and her children?" asks Representative Massie. "18, 19, and 20-year-olds are considered adults and can vote on important public policy issues. They can also form business contracts, get married, and serve in the military. As adults, these Americans should not be deprived of basic constitutional rights." The SAFER Voter Act's original co-sponsors include Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO), Rep. Alex Mooney (R-WV), Rep. Jody Hice (R-GA), Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ), Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-CA), Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-GA), Rep. Scott DesJarlais (R-TN), Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC), and Rep. Mo Brooks (R-AL). Companion legislation has been introduced in the United States Senate by Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY). “The Second Amendment is a constitutional right, and does not treat 18-year-olds as second-class adults,” Senator Lummis said. “In keeping with the Supreme Court’s Heller decision, the legislation would overturn our current restrictive anti-handgun statute and ensure equal treatment under law for adults under 21. Ultimately, if we trust 18-year-olds enough to defend our country and to choose our elected officials, we should trust them enough to purchase a handgun.” The Gun Owners of America (GOA), a grassroots nonprofit dedicated to protecting the right to keep and bear arms without compromise, has endorsed Massie's legislation. “The current 18 to 20-year-old handgun ban says that the Second Amendment is a second-class right, relegated to the backwaters of the Constitution. Gun-grabbers believe that if they can disarm young people in the years prior to turning 21, they can discourage and depress gun ownership for a new generation of Americans. That’s why Rep. Thomas Massie’s SAFER Voter Act is so important because it restores the right of young adults to purchase handguns for self-defense,” says Aidan Johnston, GOA's Director of Federal Affairs. The SAFER Voter Act has also earned the support of the National Association for Gun Rights (NAGR), the 2nd largest gun-rights group in the nation. "The right to keep and bear arms belongs to all law-abiding adults. Denying 18, 19, and 20-year-olds the ability to purchase a handgun, solely based on age alone, is discrimination, plain and simple. Any Member of Congress who considers himself pro-gun should immediately co-sponsor the SAFER Voter Act," says NAGR President Dudley Brown. Representative Massie is the Co-Chairman of the Second Amendment Caucus in the 117th Congress. ### |