Sixth District Perspectives with Congressman Ben Cline: March 2, 2019

The second Amendment came under attack this week as two bills to limit the lawful ownership of firearms came to the floor for a vote.

H.R. 8 was billed as public safety legislation – to expand background checks to all firearms transfers. But it was really only about one thing – taking rights away from law-abiding Americans.

During debate in the House Judiciary Committee two weeks ago, I attempted to amend the bill with language which would require Immigration and Customs Enforcement be notified should an illegal immigrant apply for and be denied a firearm through the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). Despite the fact that nearly 8 million illegal immigrants are in NICS and have been denied access to a firearm, Democrats blocked the amendment.

I tried a second time to introduce this language to H.R. 8, this time in the House Rules Committee. Again, House Democrats fought my efforts to deport illegal immigrants attempting to unlawfully acquire a firearm.

I was pleased my fellow House Republicans saw this as important and necessary. Before the final vote on the House floor Wednesday, House Republicans were joined by 29 Democrats in voting for a procedure which inserted my ICE notification language in the bill. Even though this move was successful, I am still opposed to H.R. 8 and its efforts to stifle the rights of law-abiding Americans to obtain firearms, and I do not expect the bill to pass the Senate.

Notifying Immigration and Customs Enforcement about an attempted unlawful purchase of a gun is something I believe should be law. That is why separate from H.R. 8, I have introduced H.R. 1397, the Notify ICE Act. Co-sponsors include House Minority Whip Steve Scalise, House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Doug Collins, and 13 other Members of Congress.

In addition to attacking the Second Amendment, Congressional Democrats also promoted an agenda that condones an assault on the unborn. That is why I joined several of my House colleagues on Monday and walked across the Capitol to express support for Senate Republicans and the Born Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act. As Virginians have seen during the most recent legislative cycle in Richmond, the far left has brought its agenda to the forefront and we must stop this radicalism. Unfortunately, the vote to proceed in the Senate failed to reach the 60-vote threshold and was defeated, 53-46. Nevertheless, I will continue to work for the passage as a copatron of similar legislation in the House and continue to be a strong advocate for innocent life as the Representative for the Sixth Congressional District of Virginia.

This week, my colleagues and I also took to the floor to draw attention to the threat posed by our national debt. When I ran for office last fall, I promised the citizens of Virginia’s Sixth Congressional District that I would bring four words to Washington: “We can’t afford it.” In September 2011, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Michael Mullin warned: “I believe the single, biggest threat to our national security is debt.” At that time, our national debt was close to $15 trillion. Now, almost ten years later, our national debt has increased by $7 trillion, a 46% increase. Therefore, I am proud to join Congressman Andy Biggs, my fellow co-sponsors, and a bipartisan group of national security leaders, in support of a resolution recognizing that the national debt is a threat to the national security of the United States, that deficits are unsustainable, irresponsible, and dangerous, and that commits Congress to restoring regular order in the appropriations process and addressing the fiscal crisis faced by the United States.

I was also pleased to welcome several constituent groups to Washington including students from the Shanandoah Valley Adventist Academy in New Market. They toured the Capitol on Thursday and asked wonderful questions during our visit in the Capitol Visitor’s Center. If you, your family, or school would like to arrange a visit to the Capitol, call my office at (202) 225-5431. I look forward to meeting you!

Upcoming Casework Staff Mobile Office Hours

Do not forget about upcoming Casework Staff Mobile Office hours coming to towns across the Sixth Congressional District. These events bring caseworkers to local communities to help citizens with federal agencies, such as the Social Security Administration, the VA, and more. Next week’s mobile offices are listed below. To find a mobile office near you in the month of March, visit https://cline.house.gov/about/events. Thank you for the opportunity to serve the Sixth District.

Luray Casework Staff Mobile Office
Monday, March 4, 2019 – 9-11 a.m.
Luray Town Hall (Council Chambers)
45 East Main Street
Luray, VA 22835

Amherst Casework Staff Mobile Office
Tuesday, March 5, 2019 – 9-10:30 a.m.
Amherst County Administration Building (Board of Supervisors Room)
153 Washington Street
Amherst, VA 24521

Bridgewater Casework Staff Mobile Office
Tuesday, March 5, 2019 – 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Bridgewater Municipal Building (Council Chambers)
201 Green Street
Bridgewater, VA 22812

Front Royal Casework Staff Mobile Office
Wednesday, March 6, 2019 – 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
Samuels Public Library (Baxter-Bowling Conference Room)
330 East Criser Road
Front Royal, VA 22630

Elkton Casework Staff Mobile Office
Thursday, March 7, 2019 – 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Elkton Area Community Center (Council Chambers)
20593 Blue and Gold Drive
Elkton, VA 22827