House Sergeant-at-Arms William Walker penned a letter Wednesday advocating against the ability of Congress members to carry firearms within the U.S. Capitol Complex.
According to The Hill, the current policy permits lawmakers to bring firearms licensed in Washington, D.C., into the Capitol area. However, Walker suggested that firearms should be carried only by Capitol Police, Secret Service, and security protecting foreign officials.
"Regrettably, my position on this matter is not shared by all stakeholders. However, in my opinion, the law is clear, and the regulation is unambiguous," Walker wrote to House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md.
He then cited 40 U.S. Code § 5104(e) which, in summary, states: "It is unlawful for anyone, including Members of Congress, to: carry any firearm inside the chamber or on the floor of either House, in any lobby or cloakroom adjacent thereto, in the galleries of either House or in the Marble Room of the Senate or Rayburn Room of the House unless assigned or approved by the two Sergeant at Arms [sic] for maintenance of adequate security."
In response to Walker, Hoyer wrote in a statement that the contents of the letter "made it unambiguously clear" that firearms had "no place" in the group of 20 buildings and facilities that make up the complex.
"I was glad to receive his letter and read his determined statement that the Capitol complex and grounds ought to be seen as a gun-free zone and clarifying that Members may not carry personal firearms outside their offices unless unloaded and fully secured for transport," Hoyer wrote.
"I hope that Sergeant Walker’s letter provides Members with certainty about firearm policies so that no one is under the impression that loaded firearms can be carried around the complex or brought into committee rooms or other spaces," he added.
The news follows renewed interest in gun regulation following mass shootings at a Buffalo, New York, supermarket and Uvalde, Texas, elementary school over the past two weeks.
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