Fought vigorously in defense of gun rights
https://www-m.cnn.com/2019/03/26/politics/gillibrand-guns-kfile/index.html
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But during her tenure in the US House of Representatives from 2007-2009, then-Rep. Gillibrand fought vigorously in defense of gun rights, including the right to own handguns. While in the House, the New York Democrat represented a more conservative, rural district, compared to the more liberal statewide constituency she represents as a senator.
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Gillibrand has said she regrets her past positions and frames her views on guns at the time as supporting hunting rights.
"On guns, I should have done more, I regret not caring about other communities," Gillibrand said at an MSNBC town hall last week. "My community didn't have the gun violence that other parts of the state had, and, in fact, the biggest issue for upstate New York was hunting rights."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=43&v=I-bFunMU6ro
[b]But Gillibrand's advocacy extended beyond hunting rights. She signed an amicus brief that argued for overturning a handgun ban in Washington, DC, and that private gun ownership was a guaranteed right unconnected to service in a militia.
The amicus brief was submitted to the US Supreme Court while the court was hearing the 2008 landmark case, District of Columbia v. Heller. The court ultimately repealed the city's strict gun control laws in a sweeping victory for gun rights advocates.
https://www.scotusblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/heller-congress-brief-2-8-08.pdf
In addition to Gillibrand, the brief was signed by then-Vice President Dick Cheney, 55 senators (46 Republicans and nine Democrats) and 250 House members (183 Republicans and 67 Democrats).
Gillibrand ultimately campaigned on her pro-gun record when running for re-election in 2008, with the NRA citing her support for the amicus brief in its endorsement of her.
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At the same time the Heller case was moving through federal courts, Gillibrand co-sponsored legislation that would revoke the city's gun control laws. The proposed bill, however, went much further in restricting the city's ability to write its own gun laws than the court's ultimate decision. The core of the proposed bill, called the "District of Columbia Personal Protection Act," made it so that Washington, DC, would not be allowed to pass any laws restricting firearm usage and ownership that exceed existing federal rules.
https://www.congress.gov/bill/110th-congress/house-bill/1399/cosponsors
The pro-gun bill also would have repealed the city's ban on semi-automatic weapons, most registration requirements for possession of firearms and a ban on owning ammunition. These aspects weren't addressed by the Supreme Court.
Like the amicus brief, the District of Columbia Personal Protection Act was disproportionately supported by Republican members of Congress. A total of 184 Republican members of the House ultimately signed onto the legislation as co-sponsors compared to 64 Democrats. The bill died in committee and never made it to the floor for a vote.
Gillibrand's support for such measures was key in her earning the backing of the NRA in her 2008 bid for re-election, with an "A" rating from the NRA indicating she was a "solidly pro-gun candidate." Gillibrand boasted of the "A" rating on her House website.
https://votesmart.org/public-statement/390117/times-union-gillibrand-treadwell-both-get-nras-seal-of-approval&speechType=8#.XDzK_M9Khaq
http://web.archive.org/web/20081026035822/http:/www.nrapvf.org:80/Elections/State.aspx?y=2008&State=NY
http://web.archive.org/web/20081008200144/http:/kirstengillibrand.com/release_details.asp?id=17
"As a strong supporter of the Second Amendment, it is a privilege to have the endorsement of the NRA and the support of Upstate New York's gunowners and hunters," Gillibrand said at the time.
https://blog.timesunion.com/capitol/archives/8907/gillibrand-treadwell-and-guns-guns-guns/
The NRA's endorsement of Gillibrand cited her support for the brief.
https://blog.timesunion.com/capitol/archives/8907/gillibrand-treadwell-and-guns-guns-guns/
"Congresswoman Kirsten Gillibrand has earned the endorsement of the NRA's Political Victory Fund (NRA-PVF) by consistently voting for the rights of law-abiding gun owners and hunters in the 110th Congress," said Chris W. Cox, chairman of NRA-PVF and NRA's chief lobbyist. "She believes that the Second Amendment is an individual right and she co-signed the congressional amicus brief in support of our individual right to keep and bear arms in the historic Heller case earlier this year. We are pleased to endorse this friend of freedom and fully support her reelection."
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