Democratic senator slams Supreme Court and warns it could trigger ‘popular revolt’
Emily Jacobs
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Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) predicted on Sunday that there would be a “popular revolt” if the Supreme Court blocked the states or Congress from implementing gun control laws.
Murphy made the comments after being asked on NBC’s Meet the Press about a federal judge in Virginia ruling this week that it was unconstitutional to ban the sale of firearms to adults under the age of 21, as well as other recent cases that resulted in diminished gun control measures. The Democratic senator and gun control advocate said that the onus is on Congress to act, before he warned that efforts by the high court to undo those measures could lead to a crisis for the bench.
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“I think our movement is in a position to win,” Murphy began. “Does it worry me what some of these district courts are doing? Absolutely. But right now, I think our focus has got to be about growing the movement and continuing to capitalize on the progress of last year.”
“Listen, if the Supreme Court eventually says that states or the Congress can’t pass universal background checks or can’t take these weapons off the streets, I think there’s going to be a popular revolt over that policy,” he continued. “A court that’s already pretty illegitimate is going to be in full crisis mode.”
The Virginia decision made reference to a 6-3 Supreme Court ruling last year that struck down New York’s restrictions on concealed carry. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas authored the majority opinion, which transformed the framework for evaluating state gun laws in such a way that makes them far more likely to be deemed unconstitutional.
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Murphy pointed out that through the 2008 District of Columbia v. Heller decision, the Supreme Court had “made it clear” that “there is a right to private gun ownership, but there is also an ability for Congress to regulate who owns weapons and what kind of weapons are owned.”
“I think we have to continue to operate under that construct,” he said, explaining that he would keep up his efforts to pass meaningful legislation.