Everytown for Gun Safety Response to NRA TV Ad Campaign in Support of Supreme Court Nominee Brett Kavanaugh

NEW YORK – Everytown for Gun Safety, the country’s largest gun violence prevention organization, released the following statement today in response to reports that the NRA is launching a seven-figure national and regional television ad buy in support of President Trump’s Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh.

The NRA has previously lauded Judge Kavanaugh’s nomination, calling it “outstanding” and saying “Promises made. Promises kept.”

STATEMENT FROM JOHN FEINBLATT, PRESIDENT OF EVERYTOWN FOR GUN SAFETY:

“It’s no surprise the NRA is going all-in for Judge Brett Kavanaugh, whose judicial record demonstrates a dangerous view of the Second Amendment that elevates gun rights above public safety. This nomination is about whether we want to elevate someone with an extreme view of the Second Amendment to the highest court in the land — a judge who has made clear he would vote to strike down common-sense gun safety laws. We will continue to oppose this nomination and stand up for strong gun laws.”

The Supreme Court made clear in its decision in District of Columbia v. Heller, written by Justice Antonin Scalia, that “Like most rights, the right secured by the Second Amendment is not unlimited.” The Court also confirmed “that the right was not a right to keep and carry any weapon whatsoever in any manner whatsoever and for whatever purpose.” Judges appointed by both Republicans and Democrats since then have repeatedly upheld reasonable gun laws as consistent with the Second Amendment.

MORE INFORMATION ON JUDGE KAVANAUGH’S SECOND AMENDMENT RECORD

• Judge Kavanaugh has applied an extreme and dangerous interpretation of the Second Amendment when determining whether a law is constitutional, one that does not take into account a law’s impact on public safety.
• Judge Kavanaugh has made clear he would strike down prohibitions on the AR-15 and other assault-style weapons. In 2011, he dissented from a decision upholding Washington, D.C.’s prohibition on assault-style weapons and its requirement to register handguns. The dissent put Judge Kavanaugh at odds not only with the two other Republican-appointed judges on the court hearing the case, but also every other federal and state appeals court to address the issue.

Following Judge Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court, the Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund, part of Everytown for Gun Safety, sent Freedom of Information Act requests to the Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General, Office of the Deputy Attorney General, Office of Public Affairs and Office of Legal Policy requesting any records of communication between Justice Department employees and the NRA surrounding Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy’s upcoming retirement from the Supreme Court, Judge Brett Kavanaugh or President Donald Trump’s nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court.

Links to the FOIA requests are available below:

Office of Public Affairs
Office of Legal Policy
Office of the Attorney General
Office of the Deputy Attorney General