Senator Richard Shelby is the senior United States Senator from the State of Alabama. He was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 1986 and is currently in his sixth term. Senator Shelby is the current vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, of which he previously served as chairman. He is a senior member on the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, as well as the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, of which he is the longest-serving member in the history of the committee. He also serves on the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.
I believe that gun control legislation violates both the letter and the spirit of the United States Constitution. The Second Amendment of the Constitution reads: “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” As such, it is evident that our Founding Fathers counted the right to keep and bear arms as a fundamental right of all law-abiding Americans.
I do not believe that restrictive gun laws are the answer to curbing violent crime in America. Such measures only prevent law-abiding citizens from protecting themselves because criminals, by definition, refuse to follow the law. Alternatively, I believe that we need to enforce the laws already on the books, combat the culture of violence in society, and address the underlying mental health issues that may contribute to such heinous acts. We must also ensure that individuals who commit crimes with firearms are held accountable for their actions and receive swift and certain punishment commensurate with their crimes.
During my time in the Senate, I have had a long-standing record of support for the Second Amendment, as evidenced by my A+ rating from the National Rifle Association (NRA). As a U.S. Senator, I will continue to oppose efforts that attempt to infringe upon the right of law-abiding citizens to keep and bear arms.