Rep. Claudia Tenney has introduced a bill in Congress aimed at protecting Second Amendment rights by preempting state-level firearm restrictions, including New York’s SAFE Act.
The Second Amendment Guarantee Act (SAGA), announced by Tenney on Tuesday, would prohibit states from banning the manufacture, sale, importation, or possession of rifles and shotguns that are lawfully permitted under federal law. The legislation is co-sponsored by Representatives Doug LaMalfa of California and Nick Langworthy of New York.
Signed into law by former Governor Andrew Cuomo, New York’s SAFE Act imposed strict gun control measures, including limitations on certain firearms and ammunition. Tenney described the state law as unconstitutional and said her proposed federal legislation would not only nullify the SAFE Act but also block other states from passing similar gun bans.
“The Constitution clearly established our Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms,” Tenney said in a statement. “This legislation upholds our country’s founding principle of protecting the rights of law-abiding Americans, even from liberal states with anti-gun policies.”
Langworthy, also a co-sponsor of the bill, echoed her sentiment, pledging to protect New Yorkers’ constitutional rights. “No matter how hard radical Democrats in Albany attempt to limit lawful gun ownership, we will stand firm,” Langworthy said. “I will never back down in my fight to protect the Second Amendment.”
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