On Tuesday, Congressman Cloud led a group of 29 Republicans in reintroducing, “The Protecting the Right To Keep and Bear Arms Act,” which would prevent President Biden and the Department of Health and Human Services from using public health emergencies to implement unconstitutional gun control.
The bill is in direct response to a long-running pattern of Democrat politicians attempting to use public health orders as a means of violating Americans’ civil liberties including their Second Amendment rights. President Biden, HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra, and Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham have all declared gun violence a public health emergency and used it to institute gun control measures – with Governor Grisham doing so as recently as last week.
Congressman Cloud’s legislation would prevent these actions and protect gun owners’ rights. The bill would explicitly prohibit the president from declaring an emergency for the purposes of imposing gun control, as well as block government officials from prohibiting the manufacturing, sale, or transfer of firearms and ammunition during a major disaster or emergency – thereby preventing them from illicitly using public health authority.
American gun-owners are rightfully concerned about the Biden administration and the Left’s willingness to use their authority to impose restrictions on law-abiding Americans. It is Congress’ job to provide the oversight to ensure Americans’ Second Amendment shall not be infringed upon.
“For a long time, radical left politicians have been open about their willingness to use executive authority and rob Americans of their Second Amendment rights,” said Congressman Cloud. “That is unacceptable, and it is Congress’ duty to prevent it. The Biden Administration, Governor Grisham, and others have exercised extraordinary executive power to push their liberal agenda and expand the power of the government. My bill would push back against any infringement on the Second Amendment and prevent the federal government from gaming the system to implement sweeping gun control regulations.”
“This instance of New Mexico’s tyrant governor using a ‘public health emergency’ to unilaterally suspend the Second Amendment is just the latest example of public officials illegally using ’emergency powers’ to infringe on Constitutional rights,” said Aidan Johnston, Director of Federal Affairs for Gun Owners of America. “We saw countless similar examples during the COVID pandemic, and lawmakers must act with a sense of urgency to ensure that President Biden and his anti-gun administration do not attempt something similar to these examples on a national level.”
