[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 5]
[House]
[Page 7030]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        SECOND AMENDMENT RIGHTS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Thompson) for 2 minutes.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, yesterday, I joined 
members of the Pennsylvania State legislature, gun owners, and the 
president of the NRA at the Pennsylvania State capital in support of 
our Second Amendment rights. I appreciate their deep belief in freedom 
and protecting the Second Amendment that guarantees our citizens the 
right to own and bear arms. Our Second Amendment is this country's 
original homeland security. Where this right is freely exercised 
without government infringement, our citizens live in freedom with a 
deterrent and defense to violent crimes.
  Sadly, Second Amendment rights are under attack from within, most 
recently, the fast and furious scandal perpetrated by the U.S. Bureau 
of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives that approved felonious 
gun sales, directing thousands of illegally purchased firearms to be 
smuggled into Mexico as part of a sting operation. These actions 
contributed to the death of a U.S. border agent and perpetuate the lie 
that U.S. gun dealers supply the bulk of guns to criminal elements in 
Mexico.
  As elected Representatives, it is our duty to respect and defend the 
freedoms that our Constitution guarantees. Those in the Bureau of 
Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives that engineered this 
dangerous strategy that took a life and threatens our freedoms must be 
held accountable.

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