Senator John Ensign commented on the Supreme Court’s decision upholding an individual’s Second Amendment right to bear arms and ruling the D.C. gun ban unconstitutional.

“Today’s Supreme Court decision marks an historic day in our country.  The right of an individual to bear arms has been a fundamental right in this country since first granted by our Founders.  I am pleased with the Supreme Court ruling. For too long the safety of residents in our nation’s capital has been jeopardized by the D.C. handgun ban.”

“For years, I have contested the constitutionality of D.C.’s gun ban and have long sought to correct this imbalance which has prevented individuals from exercising their constitutional right to defend themselves and their families.  This ruling is a momentous occasion for D.C. residents and Americans across the country.”

The Court’s ruling strikes down a 32-year ban on handgun possession in the District of Columbia because such ban is incompatible with the Second Amendment.  The Court has not sought to interpret the Second Amendment in modern times.  Today, the Justices ruled that law-abiding Americans have the right to own a gun.  The Court’s ruling also struck down D.C.’s law that required guns to be stored disassembled or equipped with a trigger lock.  When in force, this gun ban was not only unconstitutional but also ineffectual at reducing violent crime in the District of Columbia.