Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez AOC
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
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By Larry Keane

Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s ignorance is showing again. Her latest gaffe is proclaiming “guns are not allowed in the District of Columbia…” in a CNN interview with Chris Cuomo, brother, of course, to Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, also no stranger to gun control causes.

That might come as a shock to those gun owners living in the District of Columbia. It might also come as a shock to the only federal firearms licensee – DC Security Associates. For that matter, someone might want to explain that to the police department itself, which became the sole licensee for a brief period of time.

If You’re a Lawmaker, Know the Laws

Still, that confusion doesn’t make Rep. Ocasio-Cortez correct, not by a long shot. The District of Columbia’s attempt to deny guns inside the District failed miserably. That resulted in the landmark Heller decision, which affirmed the Second Amendment is an individual right and local authorities cannot ban entire classes of commonly-owned firearms.

Before the case, Washington, D.C. had banned the possession of handguns. In subsequent litigation, the federal courts have ordered that the District must issue licenses to carry firearms to qualified, law-abiding citizens.

That put an end to DC’s ban on handguns. In fact, more than 4,000 people have obtained concealed carry permits from the D.C. police department, which requires hours of classroom instruction and range certification. Over half of those in the last fiscal year were for residents who live outside the District, according to a Washington Post report.

That might end the discussion on whether it’s lawful to exercise fundamental rights in the federal enclave where the nation’s elected representatives meet. It didn’t put an end to Rep. Ocasio-Cortez’s ignorance of the law, however.

Clutching Pearls

The congresswoman was making her wildly incorrect remark when she was explaining why she didn’t attend President Joe Biden’s inauguration. She said she didn’t feel safe since fellow members of Congress were asserting their right to keep and bear arms. This is where she might have been confused.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Firearm possession within the Capitol Hill complex is forbidden for everyone except Members of Congress and law enforcement. While Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is throwing up metal detectors and having U.S. Representatives get wanded down every time they go into the House chamber to cast their votes, this notion that Members of Congress can’t have guns in the Capitol is bunk.

The last time this came up was in 2015, when Congressman Ken Buck (R-Colo.) took all appropriate steps to hang an American-flag themed Modern Sporting Rifle (MSR) in his Capitol Hill office. It was unloaded, the bolt removed and disabled with a trigger lock. Gun control politicians clutched their pearls and shrieked that such an abomination couldn’t be tolerated. Except that it can.

“Members of Congress may maintain firearms within the confines of their office,” explained Kimberly Schneider, a spokesperson for Capitol Hill police, “and they and any employee or agent of any member of Congress may transport within the Capitol Grounds firearms unloaded and securely wrapped.”

The same rule also explains that no one “shall 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 Sergeants of Arms for maintenance of adequate security.”

Just so we’re keeping it easy to understand…guns are legal in Washington, D.C. and Members of Congress can have guns in their office. Rules adopted by the House of Representatives forbids them on the floor of the House chamber, in the respective lobbies and cloakroom or designated rooms.

Blinded by Bias

This isn’t the first-time Rep. Ocasio-Cortez’s ignorance of federal firearm laws has been on full display. She infamously accused fellow Congressman Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas) of wanting to lend firearms to “people unsupervised who can’t pass a background check.” In the same tweet, she accused any friends of Rep. Crenshaw to “have likely abused their spouse or have a violent criminal record, & you may not know it.”

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez AOC
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-NY (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

If Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez took time to understand the Constitution she’s sworn to defend, or the laws she purports to understand and advance, she would know that it’s a felony to knowingly transfer a firearm to a prohibited individual. This includes domestic abusers.

Rep. Ocasio-Cortez’s comments in which she bungled gun laws and Constitutional rights started with her saying that she didn’t feel safe and claimed many other Members of Congress agreed with her. She didn’t offer any other names or even attempt at putting a number on it. She did willingly ignore that a concern for safety is exactly why more than 8.4 million people purchased a firearm for the first time last year, among the 21 million background checks for a gun sale.

Rep. Ocasio-Cortez has sponsored 29 bills and amendments. None of her bills have passed the House of Representatives, controlled by her fellow Democrats. Only two of her amendments have passed, one by voice vote and one by recorded vote. A courtesy she might want to consider on behalf of the people she’s elected to represent would be to understand the laws before she attempts to destroy them.

 

Larry Keane is SVP for Government and Public Affairs, Assistant Secretary and General Counsel of the National Shooting Sports Foundation.

 

 

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82 COMMENTS

      • A media driven society obsessed with the lowest common form of entertainment and a penchant for not thinking; only feeling. Whomever scream the loudest, most often and is most publicized is king/queen. I fear we are devolving into cavemen.

      • Tell me, Sam the Sham, what EXACTLY has Alexandria Occasional Cortex actually accomplished???

        If she’s so effective, why was the “Green Nude Eel” defeated, without a single Dim vote in favor of it? How many AOC-sponsored bills have been adopted?

        She is a joke, and only clowns like you think otherwise. I actually approve of having AOC in Congress, for two very solid reasons:

        1. She continues to occupy a solid (D) district that might otherwise be won by a Dim who might actually BE “effective”, and

        2. She gives everyone to the right of Pol Pot someone to point and laugh at.

        I’m happy to argue Trump’s POLICY effectiveness – IMHO, he had some solid wins, a few ridiculously stupid failures, and an unnatural number of instances where he should have lost, but ended up playing much better poker than y’all, and winning in spite of himself. He is not, and never was, a “hero” of mine. But I give him credit for what he accomplished. AOC, on the other hand, has accomplished exactly diddly-squat, other than getting regular tongue baths from the MSM, and partisan idiots such as yourself.

        Have a nice day.

        • Biden is currently passing the bulk of the GND by executive fiat. He is doing this to appease the AOC faction.

        • “If she’s so effective, why was the “Green Nude Eel” defeated, without a single Dim vote in favor of it?”

          That’s Biden’s job 1, and it is currently inbound…

      • No, she is not “effective”. With a zero for 29 record, she is most certainly not effective. What she is is a media selected darling with a big stupid mouth.

        • “What she is is a media selected darling with a big stupid mouth.”

          She doesn’t need to be involved in any legislation at all. She is the face of the Leftists. Even Bernie doesn’t have her media influence driving the party further Left. Whatever/whoever drives the media, drives the culture. That is definitely success.

          Even Pelosi is afraid to do much to antagonize AOC.

          BTW, how many other politicians, regardless of party, are known far and wide just by their initials?

  1. What makes you think any congress critter knows anything about the laws they vote for, let alone the laws on the books? They don’t read the laws before they vote (remember Obamacare?) and I forget how many millions of pages of federal regulations there are. For the USDA in 2011, it was about five feet in small print. Do you think she knows the definition of a “wetland”?

      • “But they have to pass the bill to know what’s in it! /sarc”

        Kinda skeptical that a true statement can be categorized as “sarc”.

    • Exactly! The only people in D.C. that go through all of the legislation is the young snot-nosed staffers that probably yuk it up every time they get a bill passed by the unwitting electeds. Just sayin’…

  2. She usually doesnt know what day it is, so please, someone tell me how in the world this moron is now in a position of power in our guvmint!?

    • what I cannot fathom is how she gets so much coverage, and why the nation puts so much interest in what she thinks/says. she is supposed to represent her constituants (all 15,000 or so that voted her into office). given that the US population is 350,000,000 give or take, that is equivalent to the mayor of a very small town getting daily coverage on national media demanding that the entire country do what she wants. does anyone else see the lunacy in the nation as a whole even knowing her name?

    • Dennis, remember when she didn’t know what a garbage disposal was, even put it on social media. She has no redeeming qualities what so ever. I heard there is a job opening for her in hospitality in Mexico.

  3. AOC is a bartender who became a reality TV “star.” Voting for AOC is like voting for a Kardashian. The fact that her congressional district overwhelmingly voted for her indicates that Lincoln was wrong. You can fool all of the people all of the time — if the people are dumber than a box of hammers. You know, like Average Americans have become after two or three generations of public education.

    • @ Ralph…..that reminded me of what my dad used to say. “Some people just need a sympathetic pat on the head”…..with a hammer!

    • She was entered in a casting call when the dims were looking for a candidate in her district. Her cousin entered her. She got an interview, casting couch style, got chosen and now pretends to be a representative. Look it up. It’s true.

  4. She’s an attention whore…let’s keep her thirsty and not have anymore stories Rittenhouse about that chicken head…

  5. Assuming the law is the way you “feel” it should be is a common lefty trait.

    Often shared with cops eager to arrest.

    “I don’t like that therefore it must be illegal.”

    • While not a fan of hers, may I ask what her previous occupation has to do with this? Do you feel that a person must be a lawyer? Or be born into politics like the Bush or McCain families?

      • 4 years of Boston college as economics major. That’s a 6 figure edumacashun right there and she’s a bartender. So we can surmise she didn’t come out brilliant or employable in a professional field.

        Well maybe not one requiring the degree.

        • If you know anything about economics, a BU degree in “economics” isn’t worth the paper it’s printed on. The idiots at the BU “economics” department embrace “Modern Monetary Theory”, which is all any sentient economist has to know to dismiss them, utterly.

  6. I don’t believe this is the mere ignorance that many gun owners believe it is. I think AOC and the dems are trying to keep their base ignorant of the gun laws and aghast at the actions of Republicans. They are preaching to the choir, to keep the choir riled up, to create the reality that they are lying about already existing. Much like the idea of America being a democracy, they are trying to lie these gun prohibitions into existence.

  7. We keep falling back into the world of stupidity and ignorance. A nation cannot survive under these circumstances. Check I.Q.’s before voting for somebody.

  8. “AOC Displays Her Stunning Ignorance of…” just fill in tge blank, this incredibly ignorant dimwit is too stupid to chew gum and walk without falling!

    • I’m not so stunned anymore. If she’s a “best and brightest,” I’m afraid to look at the constituents of her district.

  9. Occasional-Cortex sure lives up to that nom de plume! Reelected after she screwed her “constituents” out of a bunch of Amazon jobs. I’m thinking it’s smarter than the dimwits who erect er elected her😏😖😞

  10. if somebody would stick a sock in AOC’s mouth, AOC would make a lot more sense……………..

    I’ll bet she sucked as a bartender too.

  11. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s ignorance is showing again. Her latest gaffe is proclaiming “guns are not allowed in the District of Columbia…”

    The ignorant twatwaffle is dumber that a box of rocks and is joyful in her ignorance.

    • “Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s ignorance is showing again. Her latest gaffe is proclaiming “guns are not allowed in the District of Columbia…” ”

      How did you manage to become so out-of-touch? If legally possessing a firearm requires a government-issued permission slip, then guns are not allowed….wherever. “Allowed” means granting permission, or having been granted permission.

      You gotta keep up with the fluidity of the language, because if it saves just one….

      • Sam the Sham, were you BORN stupid, or have you been practicing????

        A “permit” is not required to own a firearm in D.C. Ownership is supposed to be registered (but note that the Metropolitan PD’s own website indicates that firearms “may” be registered – even they aren’t stupid enough to argue that such is required), but . . . any bets on how likely D.C. is to invite SCOTUS to rule on that????

        Seriously, you might have a less s***ty view of the world, if you weren’t viewing it through your own colon.

        • My apologies. Thought I was addressing an adult with my comment. You go on the list to avoid. Thanx.

  12. If you know some stuff about something, please chime in with your educated opinion. If you can’t add any thoughtful, constructive, useful ideas or information, get informed or keep your thoughts to yourself. On the matter of all things 2A, AOC can STFU or GTFO.

  13. Whether Alexandria O’Crazio Cortez might have been a good bartender. I don’t know.

    But based on her short political life, she is actually an insane psychopath, and not that different from the rest of all the other democrats.

    The democrats currently ruling the country are ALL insane psychopaths, Anti Bill Of Rights, Anti-Semitic, Anti-Christian, Anti-Caucasian, and Pro Muslim Terrorists.

    The democrat party is the home of the Racists, the Haters, the Elitists, the Homosexuals, the Transtesticles, the Pansexuals, the FemiNazis, the Pedophile child Molesters, the Illegal Aliens, the Moral Relativists, the Anti-Americans, the Marxists, the Communists, the Socialists, the Fascists, the Anarchists, and worse of all, they are ALL Baby Murderers.

    It’s the party dedicated to the Total Destruction and Annihilation of the American Dream by turning America into a Marxist/Socialist/Communist/Fascist Utopia.

    • Isn’t she now claiming Ted Cruz tried to have her killed in the recent riots and is demanding his resignation? Cancel culture coming soon.

      The future Supreme Commissar of the political police.

  14. “A courtesy she might want to consider on behalf of the people she’s elected to represent would be to understand the laws before she attempts to destroy them…”

    that’s not how you get elected anymore

  15. First TTAG article on her ignorant remark didn’t elicit enough misogynist comments, so they’ve got to run another? Must be hurting for content.

    • I’m sorry, I was unaware that it was misogynistic to refer to a stupid woman as stupid. My bad. From now on, I will refer to her as “intellectually differently-abled”.

      How does your clown mask fit?

  16. AOC is stupid on purpose. People like her go out of their way to not get educate. And are stupid on purpose. And she is a racist on purpose.

  17. MAY HAVE SOME THING THERE . LAW MAKE CONGRESS HAVE TO HAVE CLASSES ON GUN LAWS , UM .. ADD WHY NOT MAKE THEM HAVE TO TAKE GUN RANGE CLASSES , AND SELF DEFENCE , AND RENT WEAPON TO SHOOT PAPER TARGETS .
    YEAH THEY HAVE TO HAVE A LTC , BEFORE TELLING REST OF US WE CAN’T HAVE LTC ..
    DOUBLE TALK , LOOP HOLES , AAA THEY PUT SOME HOLES IN PAPER TARGETS , HELP THEM RELIEVE STRESS MAYBE . THEY REALLY SHOULD TRY IT .

    • “Defence”is spelled “defense”. When commenting on these sights it is a good idea to be able to spell. Oh, I wouldn’t drink anything AOC made!

      • “Defence”is spelled “defense”

        In the rest of the former British Empire, “defense” is not uncommonly spelt “defence”. Not sure it applies here, though.

  18. Don’t give her air time like this. She’s 1 of 435 and junior at that.
    Nice set of lips though……..

  19. Good God People. We are talking about a woman who said she was fearful of a garbage disposal. How much logic do you expect from her. The real question is how insane are people to vote for her? But I saw the video, she can dance and I hear she can do a decent job mixing drinks. Cut the poor unfortunate child some slack, and vote her out of office.

  20. It is interesting to note that this is the first time I heard that AOC has passed no bills during her time in Congress.
    Neither the main stream media nor conservative websites have mentioned that fact.
    Another one of many good reasons to keep reading TTAG

    • “…this is the first time I heard that AOC has passed no bills during her time in Congress.”

      Passing bills is not as important as steering the party. AOC is successful at her purpose. Drive the train, let others do the work. Pelosi is not afraid of her for no reason. AOC has been successful without actually doing any real work.

  21. I do not know which is worse: The fact that this woman is so damned dumb it hurts, or the fact that people actually VOTE for her! To “represent” them, no less!

  22. Imagine, if you can, just how stupid the average Sandy from the Bronx voter is, then think about how half of them are more stupid than that.

  23. It would have been more accurate to say, “AOC displays her stunning ignorance again. This time it was about federal firearms laws.”

  24. AOC is a beautiful young woman but when she talks politics she reveals the intelligence of a Brick!!

  25. Well this just confirms that our federal government does not discriminate against hiring or employing the mentally challenged eh?

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