*Not* your average Democrat. Of course, the proof is in the pudding of the votes, but until then, she gets a thumbs-up from this gun owner. Her attitude regarding the "Ugly Gun Ban" (a reference I had to explain to her staffer I was chatting about this letter with) is very good - and not full of any mealy-mouthed hedges.
As your representative in Washington, D.C., I approach all gun-related bills with a goal of protecting the right of Kansans to own guns for shooting, hunting, and self-protection. I'm also working to educate my colleagues from urban districts about the integral role of guns in rural life. The Second District of Kansas includes some of the best deer and turkey hunting lands in the state as well as hundreds of family farmers who protect their crops and livestock against vermin. I am dedicated to preserving this way of life and the essential role that guns play in it.The awful shootings at Virginia Tech have caused many people to call for new tougher gun control laws. I believe that tragedies like these are preventable, but I believe the path to doing so is through better mental health care, not tougher gun control. I will not join in with those who rush to pass new gun control laws whenever a person uses a gun to grab headlines. We have sufficient laws on the books; we need to enforce them.
As I evaluate gun-related issues in the 110th Congress, I have tried to keep honest, gun-owning Kansans in the forefront of my mind. I want you to know about the following actions that I have taken:Opposing the Reinstatement of an Assault Weapons Ban
In 1994, Congress passed a law banning the sale of certain semi-automatic guns. That ban expired in 2004. Rep. Carolyn McCarthy introduced H.R. 1022, the Assault Weapons Ban and Law Enforcement Protection Act of 2007, to reinstate the ban while slightly modifying the definition of "assault weapon."
I oppose H.R. 1022 and will not vote for it. Federal statistics show little effect from the first ban, and there is no reason to believe it will work any better the second time around.
Supporting the Repeal of Excessive Gun Control Laws in D.C.
Washington, DC has some of the most restrictive gun control laws in the country. Since 1976, District residents have been banned from owning new handguns, and they can not keep loaded guns in their house. Carrying an unloaded gun from room to room in their house violates the ban on "transporting" weapons. All this in a city with one of the highest violent crime rates in the country.
The courts have begun to strike down some of these laws, but we should not wait for the courts to step in. I am a co-sponor of H.R. 1399, the District of Columbia Personal Protection Act. H.R 1399 would (1) permit law-abiding citizens to possess handguns and rifles in their homes and businesses; (2) repeal the registration requirement for firearms and ammunition; and (3) repeals the ban on semiautomatic weapons. This is common sense legislation that has passed the House twice, and I will vote to pass it again.
Supporting the Expansion of Lands Available to the Public Hunters
Since 1995, Kansas has opened over 1 million acres of private land to public hunting through its WIHA (Walk In Hunting Access) program. Preserving access to hunting lands is just as important to preserving access to hunting weapons - we need to have more programs like these. I am a co-sponsor of H.R. 2473, a bill to provide $20 million in grants to states to expand conservation and public hunting-access programs. I will work to get this program enacted, either as part of the Farm Bill or as a separate program.
Thank you again for writing me. I will keep your concerns in mind as further issues arise, but please do not hesitate to contact me. I appreciate your input, and I look forward to hearing from you again in the future on matters of importance to you.
Emphasis added is mine. I did fire off a note to make clear that Representative McCarthy's H.R.1022 language change actually represented a *huge* increase in the scope of the bill - not just a cosmetic one.
Heh. She keeps this up - and the Republicans put Ryun back in the saddle to try to take back the seat - I might just vote for... well, certainly against Ryun in the Primary. Ms. Boyda is a freshman, still learning the ropes, and we've some significant policy differences on how to proceed in Iraq (and I guess pinging her staff for her tax policy is next...) but compared to how Mr. Ryun engaged with me as a constituent, she's a breath of fresh air. I hope she can maintain it, and not morph into something along the lines of Ryun - not in politics, but as a politico.
And I don't mean that from the perspective that Ryun didn't treat me special - I'm well aware that to his eye I was a safe demographic, whereas to Boyda I'm a demo she needs to catch and hold - but I never got anything beyond boilerplate, marginally relevant responses from Ryun's office.
Both Senators Brownback and Roberts give constituent service on the level of Representative Boyda. Ryun, well, Ryun took his constituents for granted. And was surprised when they didn't show up when he needed them, eh, Mr. Ryun?
If you're new to this subject, Ms. Boyda's statement regarding the indictment of Mr. Jefferson of LA is available here.
And her position on the immigration bill, as written, is here.
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