Sep 27, 2023
BELLEVUE, WA – The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms is applauding the 424-1 House vote approving the Protecting Hunting Heritage and Education Act, thereby crushing the Biden administration’s effort to block federal funding for school shooting sports programs.
“Joe Biden’s attempt to stop funding for these important school programs was yet another demonstration of just how extreme this administration can be when it comes to guns and even hunting,” said CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb. “These are programs that not only provide valuable and genuine safety training, but they also contribute to teaching the next generation about wildlife conservation while passing along an American tradition.
“However,” Gottlieb continued, “just because 208 Democrats voted for this measure does not forgive their past and future support for restrictive gun control legislation. Evidently, Democrats are beginning to realize the gun issue will not play well during the 2024 campaign, and that Biden’s attempt to cut off funding for school shooting sports could bring lots of angry sportsmen and women to the polls next November. They are trying to distance themselves from this extremely anti-gun-rights administration.”
Only one Democrat, Rep. Veronica Escobar of Texas, voted against the measure. Gottlieb predicted outdoorsmen and women in her district will remember when she seeks re-election next year.
“Joe Biden’s Department of Education deliberately misinterpreted the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act in hopes of defunding the school shooting sports programs,” Gottlieb said, “probably hoping nobody would notice. Well, they got caught. The vote shows Democrats on Capitol Hill are trying to do some damage control, but it won’t be enough to make voters forget they have become the party of gun prohibition.
“Hunting is a small, but important part of the much larger Second Amendment movement,” he observed, “but the administration’s effort to withhold funds from this program shows how deeply the Biden White House resents anything even remotely connected to activities that may involve the lawful use of firearms. Our hat is off to Tennessee Congressman Mark Green for introducing this legislation and shepherding it through the House.”
