McDonald v. Chicago Decision highlights the importance of Supreme Court nominations FULL TEXT

The Supreme Court ruled today in a 5-to-4 decision that the Second Amendment’s guarantee of an individual right to bear arms applies to state and local gun control laws,

FULL TEXT TRANSCRIPTS IN PDF FORMAT:

• 6/28/10 - Decision McDonald v. Chicago
• SCOTUS Transcript of Oral Arguments in McDonald v. Chicago

• Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr., writing for the majority, Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., Justices Antonin Scalia, Anthony M. Kennedy and Clarence Thomas.
• in dissented: Justices John Paul Stevens, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen G. Breyer and Sonia Sotomayor.

Washington, DC - U.S. Congressman Mike Pence, Chairman of the House Republican Conference, released the following statement today after the U.S. Supreme Court, in its ruling on McDonald v. Chicago, extended the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms to all fifty states:

"In its ruling today, the Supreme Court has affirmed a fundamental point of federalism: No state has the right to legislate away the blood-bought Constitutional right of every law-abiding American to protect their person, their family, and their liberty.

“This decision is a victory for the Second Amendment, but as a 5 to 4 ruling among the justices it also sends a warning. The Supreme Court is closely divided and at least four of its members would not extend a basic constitutional right to all fifty states. For that reason alone, the nomination and confirmation of any Supreme Court Justice requires careful deliberation to ensure that the members of the high court will protect the rights handed down by our Founding Fathers.” ###

Contact Matt Lloyd or Mary Vought at (202) 226-9000 or matt.lloyd@mail.house.gov