A spokesman for U.S. Rep. Scott DesJarlais (R-TN-04) said the congressman is solidly pro-gun despite voting for a proposed law that Gun Owners of America said would confiscate guns from members of the U.S. Armed Forces.
As The Tennessee Star reported Saturday, members of the Democratic-majority U.S. House of Representatives passed that bill, H.R. 6395, late last month. The vote was 295 to 125, according to the House website, with 108 Republicans saying yes to it — with three of them, including DesJarlais, representing Tennessee.
DesJarlais’ Chief of Staff Richard Vaughn, in an email to The Star, explained why his boss voted yes.
“To summarize, HR 6395 (that we voted on a couple of weeks ago) is the Defense Authorization Bill that funds all of our defense missions for the year and gave men and women in uniform a pay raise. The issue some people are discussing is a section of the bill (Sec. 542) dealing with protective orders in an immediate domestic violence matter. The UCMJ applies in these matters with active duty personnel, and the provision deals with military judges and magistrates issuing protective orders,” Vaughn said.
“The Congressman is solidly 100 percent pro 2nd Amendment with a 10-year record of it in the Congress. We’re working with Senate and White House to clarify any ambiguity that wouldn’t further ensure due process in domestic situations. He does not and will not support gun confiscations and/or backdoor gun grabs.”
Vaughn went on to say that “due process should and will be a part of any domestic proceeding.”
“The final version of the bill will come back to the House for a vote before going to the President for a signature or veto. He will see what the final version looks like before the vote,” Vaughn said.
“Rest assured, he wants to make sure our men and women in uniform get more money, have better equipment, smart strategies, and have their liberties and freedoms protected.”
U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN-03) and U.S. Rep. David Kustoff (R-TN-08) also voted yes to the bill.
U.S. Rep. John Rose (R-TN-06), U.S. Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN-02), U.S. Rep. Phil Roe (R-TN-01), and U.S. Rep. Mark Green (R-TN-07) all voted no.
Tennessee’s two Democratic congressmen, U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN-09) and U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper (D-05) voted yes on the bill.
GOA members, on their website, scolded the House Republicans who voted yes.
“GOA Founder H. L. Richardson wrote a book entitled What Makes You Think We Read the Bills,” members wrote.
“That adage was never more true than last week, when a bucketload of House ‘pro-gun’ Republicans voted to pass a giant defense bill containing, in its bowels, a ‘red flag’ gun confiscation proposal for the military — hidden there by Nancy Pelosi’s gun-hating stooges.”
Under the bill, government officials can use unsubstantiated allegations from a hostile relative as a means to strip gun owners of their Second Amendment rights in an ex parte proceeding, GOA members wrote.
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Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star. Follow Chris on Facebook. Email tips to [email protected].
Not sure hoping that the final version will correct this is a wise decision.
The congressman has provided a very weak explanation for his vote. If his second ammendment beliefs are as strong as he stated I have to believe he either did not read or did not understand the bill he supported. When a representative does not read or understand what he is voting for it does not matter what his beliefs are. This congressman should not be in office.
What a lame response! This is how the left systematically steals the rights from us. And we now have Republicans blindly following along!
The left continually sneak “land mines” into these bigger pieces of legislation. Of course, the legislators never step on them because they are not subject to or are protected from them. But, at some point down the road, some poor veteran gets his legs “blown out from under him” because these feckless legislators don’t do their jobs! Sad!
If Mark Green, a former soldier who has a son who is a soldier, voted against it, DesJarlais should have too. OR, break the Bill apart and don’t allow the Dems to get away with this chicanery!
It matters who governs. It also matters who provides the public information on these matters and the public’s understanding of such matters. If these fine congressman would approve a and pass a budget some of this waste of taxpayer time money and energy would end.
Scott DesJarlais has not done one thing for his District, Tennessee or our Nation!
he does not respond to most in his District. His short list is indeed short.
This slap in the face of the Military, present, retired and anyone who ever served, depriving them of the rights to defend their lives and property does not sit well with Tennesseans nor our Constitution! He supports 2AandourCosntiution…well that just doesn’t fly!
“The Congressman is solidly 100 percent pro 2nd Amendment with a 10-year record of it in the Congress. We’re working with Senate and White House to clarify any ambiguity that wouldn’t further ensure due process in domestic situations. He does not and will not support gun confiscations and/or backdoor gun grabs.”
This is a true statement. I completely support U. S. Representative DesJarlais. He is my Congressman. I think that he has been an excellent Congressman. The Dems absolutely control the U. S. House at present. If you don’t like the actions of the U. S. House, vote the Dems OUT, not the Republicans.