So says Representative Mark Souder (R-IN) in the Washington Post this morning:
Sadly, since the announcement of the Heller decision, we have seen the D.C. Council continue to thumb its nose at the Constitution and defy a clear Supreme Court order by largely maintaining its draconian handgun ban.
Moreover, when Congress chose to delegate home rule to the District in the 1970s, it specified that legislation enacted by the District must be “consistent with the Constitution of the United States,” and it “reserve[d] the right, at any time, to exercise its constitutional authority as legislature for the District, by enacting legislation for the District on any subject.”
I do hope some folks in Indiana will consider volunteering for Rep. Souder’s campaign in this 2008 election. We need to keep guys like this in office. Rep. Souder is the sponsor of H.Res.1331, the bill to preempt City Council from regulating guns, and set DC’s gun laws to something close to federal law.
I have some people up in his district – I will make calls!
So it seems that back when Congress allowed DC to have home rule, it was firmly under the control of liberal Democrats. That would explain why nothing was said or done after the DC council banned handguns, because there’s never been an anti-gun law that liberal Democrats have been against.