Editor’s note: Senator Paul has been vocal in his support for the Second Amendment (the right to keep and bear arms), including calling for allowing those in the military who have appointed a fiduciary to manage their affairs, which can be for multiple reasons, to own guns as civilians. Currently this is a disqualifying reason.
Dr. Paul Delivers Opening Remarks at Hearing on Second Amendment
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), Chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, convened a hearing to discuss the Second Amendment and ongoing threats to Americans’ constitutional right to keep and bear arms.
During his opening remarks, Chairman Paul stated the 2nd Amendment is one of the most attacked constitutional rights by politicians, despite the courts expanding its protections. He closed with an aspirational note: In America’s 250th year, government should be asking how to expand liberty, not how to chip away at it.
View the Chairman’s opening statement here.
Opening remarks as prepared below:
As we reflect on the 250th anniversary of our nation, some of our most cherished rights stand at a crossroads. Modern prosperity and technology provide us with the means to enjoy and exercise our God-given rights to a greater extent than ever before. Yet, as the means and interest of Americans in exercising those rights have increased, so have the desire and tools for tyrants – both inside and outside of government – to tighten control over who, where, and how those rights are exercised.
We have discussed at great length the grave attempts by our government to censor unfavored, unpopular, and inconvenient speech – no matter how true – during the pandemic and beyond. We have also examined the threats to privacy and the collection of data about all aspects of our lives by myriad government agencies.
Today we examine the growing threats by our government to restrict the right to keep and bear arms guaranteed by the Second Amendment.
In the wake of a federal officer shooting and killing a protester who was legally carrying a holstered firearm, a succession of Federal officials rushed to declare that citizens cannot exercise their First and Second Amendment rights at the same time.
They stated: “You cannot bring a firearm loaded with multiple magazines to any sort of protest that you want. It’s that simple.” And “If you approach law enforcement with a gun, there is a high likelihood they will be legally justified in shooting you. Don’t do it.”
Government employees take an oath to support and defend the entire Constitution of the United States – not just the parts which are convenient depending upon the political news of the day. It is not their job to decide when and which of your rights “count” on any given day. Just as our constitutional rights are non-partisan and belong to all Americans across the political spectrum, these liberties are also non-negotiable.
These freedoms are not independent of each other but are undeniably bolstered by one another. They ensure not only that Americans have rights, but that they can defend and speak about those rights without fear of government overreach.
Unlike free speech, free exercise, and privacy, the right to keep and bear arms is being strengthened by the courts and restrictions on the right are being overturned. In 2008, the Supreme Court upheld in the Heller case, an individual’s right to possess firearms in the home. Two years later, the court ruled in the McDonald case that the right to bear arms is applicable to laws enacted at the state and local levels.
And in 2022, the Court, again, ruled on the side of liberty in the Bruen case, stating that the Second Amendment “protect[s] an individual’s right to carry a hand-gun for self-defense outside the home.”
Even though the Supreme Court has made these rulings, politicians have not given up their attempts to usurp our constitutional right to keep and bear arms. In recent months, we have seen in Virginia, the state where we won our independence from the tyrannical British crown, force through their General Assembly countless pieces of misguided legislation intending to disarm lawful gun-owners.
In fact, just days ago, bills sent to the governor from the state legislature aim to prohibit the carrying of a loaded firearm in public across the Commonwealth. Another bill poised to become law makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor for any person who imports, sells, manufactures, purchases, or transfers “an assault firearm”, all while creating an exemption for “any government officer…” As we saw during the pandemic, the government’s mantra continues to be: rules for thee, but not for me.
Unfortunately, the case of Virginia is not unique. Many other states including: Colorado, Rhode Island, and California have passed similarly egregious legislation. While most of these laws will undoubtedly be challenged through the courts, this should be a wakeup call for every state across our nation.
It is important to look at these and other specific instances of infringements on the right to keep and bear arms. We must be watchful to any and all violations, and act accordingly. But what we really should aspire to in this 250th year of our nation is a government that stops asking how much restriction on our liberties it can get away with and instead asks how it can protect and promote all our rights, including our right to keep and bear arms.
Below is the announcement and panel guest listing:
Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee to Hold Hearing on the Second Amendment
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Chairman Rand Paul (R-KY) of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee will convene a full committee hearing examining the Second Amendment and ongoing threats to Americans’ constitutional right to keep and bear arms.
Hearing Details:
Title: The Second Amendment
Date: Wednesday, April 15, 2026
Time: 10:00 a.m.
Location: Senate Dirksen Building, Room SD-342
Witness Panels:
Panel 1
Co-Chairman Thomas Massie (R-KY-04), Second Amendment Caucus, U.S. House of Representatives
Panel 2
The Honorable Ken Cuccinelli
Senior Fellow for Homeland Security and Immigration, Center for Renewing America
Erich Pratt
Senior Vice President, Gun Owners of America
Dudley Brown .
President, National Association for Gun Rights
Stephen I. Vladeck
Agnes Williams Sesquicentennial Professor of Federal Courts, Georgetown Law
Banner Image: Gun shop. Image Credit – Teitur Hansen
