Dateline: October 27, 2005

Rep. Thornberry supports bill preventing gun industry suits

WASHINGTON, DC – With the support of Congressman Mac Thornberry (TX-13), Congress today acted to stop use of the courts to circumvent the legislative process and the U.S. Constitution on the right to keep and bear arms. 

 By a vote of 283-144, the U.S. House of Representatives approved S. 397, the “Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act.” The bill prevents the use of lawsuits against the firearms industry for harm caused by the criminal or unlawful misuse of their products.

S. 397 prevents gun and ammunition manufacturers, distributors, dealers, and importers from being sued over acts that involve the criminal or unlawful use of a firearm.  The bill would also require that civil liability actions currently pending in state or federal courts be dismissed.

“If somebody uses a gun to hold up a convenience store, the person who should be held accountable is the robber, not the manufacturer of a legal product that happened to be the robber’s weapon of choice,” said Thornberry.