After years of working on this issue, we have finally enacted legislation that provides protections for those in the firearms industry from lawsuits arising out of the criminal acts of people who misuse their products. Lawsuits seeking to hold the firearms industry responsible for the criminal and unlawful use of its products by others are attempts to accomplish through litigation what has not been achieved by legislation and the democratic process. As explained by one federal judge – quote – “the plaintiff's attorneys simply want to eliminate handguns.” Under the currently unregulated tort system, personal injury lawyers were seeking to obtain through the courts stringent limits on the sale and distribution of firearms by litigating the gun industry to death.
As Chairman of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law, I championed legislation in the House to prevent this attempt to undermine the 2nd Amendment and was happy to have the President sign the legislation into law.
