By Lee Williams
At 5-feet 10-inches, Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) is the same height as Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), but that’s not all the two have in common.
Neither Rubio nor Feinstein support the Second Amendment.
While Feinstein is open an upfront about her anti-rights passion, Rubio is riding the fence. Several bills he’s introduced clearly infringe upon the Second Amendment, but he still tries to hide his anti-rights zealotry in communications with constituents.
A reader recently reached out to Rubio after reading this story: Sen. Rubio’s red-flag bill would allow ‘temporary’ firearm confiscation and delay due process.
“I emailed him a while ago about his Red-flag bill he sponsored after you taught me about it and telling him it violated several amendments and to my dismay this was the response I received,” she said in an email. I am not publishing her name.
She noted that Rubio’s reply was “vague” and that he was “not specifically addressing the issues about his bill’s violation of due process and our other amendments as opposed to him saying that our communities lack the law enforcement resources.”
Politicians have form letters for irate constituents. I have no doubt our reader received one of Rubio’s letters designed to appease an angry Second Amendment supporter. I’m guessing his staff sends out a lot of them, especially since he introduced the federal red-flag bill.
“I hold the fundamental belief that the Second Amendment should not be altered,” Rubio’s email states. “While I have always supported the right of law-abiding Americans to bear arms to protect themselves and their families, I am committed to working with my colleagues in the Senate to create a more effective system to prevent senseless gun violence, without unnecessarily infringing on the rights guaranteed by the Second Amendment.”
Two things leap out of that statement. First, “senseless gun violence” is a Bloomberg talking point, which is used by Demanding Moms, Everytown and the Trace.
Second, Rubio hopes to create a more effective system “without unnecessarily infringing on the rights guaranteed by the Second Amendment.”
I guess that means the Senator is willing to infringe upon our Second Amendment rights, but only when he believes it’s necessary.
Bunkum, that is.
And of course, there’s a plug for his federal red-flag bill.
“We currently lack the tools for law enforcement, or families, to take away guns from someone in their community they know is a danger to themselves or others. I am working to change this by incentivizing states to enact extreme violence protection orders, sometimes referred to as “red flag law,” the email states.
Rubio’s bill — S.292 – Extreme Risk Protection Order and Violence Prevention Act of 2021 — would lure states into creating their own Extreme Risk Protection Orders like we have here in Florida, by offering them federal grants to get started.
You could be paying for gun confiscations. That’s your taxpayer dollars at work.
The bill allows the petitioner — a law enforcement officer, family member, household member, someone who has a child with the gun owner, a current or former boyfriend/girlfriend, or anyone who lived with the gun owner in the past year — to tell the court that the gun owner “poses a significant danger of causing personal injury to himself or herself or others.”
And the worst part: The gun owner has no right to attend this hearing and, therefore, no ability to defend themselves.
The legal standard is “clear and convincing evidence” that you’ll become a threat “in the near future.”
The Senator’s email follows.
As always, thanks for your time.
Lee
Dear Mrs. XXXXX,
Thank you for taking the time to express your thoughts regarding the Second Amendment. Understanding your views helps me to better represent Florida in the United States Senate, and I appreciate the opportunity to respond.
The Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution states that “the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.” I hold the fundamental belief that the Second Amendment should not be altered. While I have always supported the right of law-abiding Americans to bear arms to protect themselves and their families, I am committed to working with my colleagues in the Senate to create a more effective system to prevent senseless gun violence, without unnecessarily infringing on the rights guaranteed by the Second Amendment. I support measures that keep guns out of the hands of criminals and the mentally ill. Some have suggested restricting gun ownership as a way to curb gun violence. While I will consider any serious proposal to stop violent crimes, I have concerns when these proposals are solely directed toward restricting gun ownership.
We currently lack the tools for law enforcement, or families, to take away guns from someone in their community they know is a danger to themselves or others. I am working to change this by incentivizing states to enact extreme violence protection orders, sometimes referred to as “red flag laws.” On February 8, 2021, I reintroduced the bipartisan Extreme Risk Protection Order and Violence Prevention Act (S. 292), which would establish U.S. Department of Justice grants to states that enact policies that seek to empower families or law enforcement to prevent dangerous individuals from purchasing or possessing firearms, with due process protections. This is modeled after Florida’s risk protection order law. S.292 was referred to the Senate Committee on the Judiciary.
To prevent future tragedies, we must be proactive and utilize a multi-pronged approach to identify and stop threats. Schools are a particular area of concern, especially in the wake of the 2018 tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland. Students deserve to feel safe in their place of learning, and faculty need to have evidence-based models and resources to maintain this environment. That is why I was proud to again help lead the reintroduction of the Luke and Alex School Safety Act of 2021 (S. 111) to create a federal clearinghouse on school safety best practices. This resource would help schools and their faculty, community officials, and parents identify appropriate school safety measures and resources to implement them well. In February 2020, I was pleased to see the launch of SchoolSafety.gov, managed by the Federal School Safety Clearinghouse, for the K-12 community. After cultivating this resource with input from the families of Parkland victims, I am optimistic that this initiative will adequately respond directly to the needs of schools to improve safety protocols.
You may also be interested to know that I also introduced the bipartisan Threat Assessment, Prevention, and Safety (TAPS) Act of 2019 (S. 265) on January 29, 2019. The same day, Representative Brian Babin (R-TX) introduced the House companion bill (H.R. 838), which was referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary. This bill would create a task force of experts to provide recommendations for a national strategy to keep communities safe from targeted violence through threat assessment and management. Specifically, this legislation would provide resources, training, and assistance in establishing and operating locally driven threat assessment and management units. This bill was referred to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
I am also an original cosponsor of the EAGLES Act of 2021 (S. 391). This bill would reauthorize and expand the U.S. Secret Service’s National Threat Assessment Center to help communities proactively mitigate threats of violence at schools. This bill will help ensure we are more effectively leveraging the top-notch research conducted by experts at the National Threat Assessment Center to stop school violence and help keep our communities safe by training school districts to identify threats and intervene. This bill has been referred to the Senate Committee on the Judiciary.
In the 115th Congress, I cosponsored the Fix NICS Act, which improves the background check system and ensures that individuals who should not be able to purchase or possess a firearm are not improperly passing background checks due to lack of information in the background check system. This helps to prevent guns from getting into the hands of individuals with a history of violence or mental illness. This bill was incorporated into the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2018 (Public Law 115-141).
In order to achieve the American Dream, citizens need the ability to live in safe communities and have the ability to protect themselves, their families, and their properties. The lawful exercise of the Second Amendment is part of what makes this possible. Given the Constitution’s clear stance on gun ownership, I will continue to support an individual’s right to own firearms.
It is an honor and a privilege to serve as your United States Senator. I will keep your thoughts in mind as I consider these issues and continue working to ensure America remains a safe and prosperous nation.
Sincerely,
Marco Rubio
U.S. Senator
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So glad he was never president. He was like a male, republican Hillary in many ways. He forgot the lessons of the nation of his parents’ origin.
“LE doesn’t have the tools” is utter garbage. He should have viciously attacked the FBI, the police and the Parkland School for what happened there. He got attacked by Hogg and blew around in the wind to come to where he is now.
Any “tools” that Republicans give to LE are ultimately used to deprive the honest citizens who voted for them of their rights and freedoms. Democrats love when Republicans pass laws that empower police to spy on and attack normal citizens.
Yeah, it’s why GWB was a horrible president. He set up Obama’s infrastructure to do the horrible things he did via 9/11 in a lot of ways.
Patriot act.
“Alexa, can you relay to the ATF that I’m ready whenever they are.”
“I took care of that months ago. But I’ll set a daily reminder”
Nice. 🙂
Damn right. A solid two-thirds of that quisling turd Rubio’s letter boils down to “MOAR big-government spying and surveillance.” He might not weaponize it against the entire American public, but a future “progressive” will.
Yeah, besides proudly supporting red flag laws, he wanted to have a “conversation” on magazine capacity limits in the wake of Parkland. Like Rick Scott and the other Florida Republicrats, they say they support gun rights for the votes but are more than happy to ban bump stocks, guns for 18-21, don’t want open, constitutional, or campus carry, and would probably prefer to ban ARs and other “weapons of war” in favor of more sporting rifle choices. But they would probably lose votes so they just strangle any pro-gun bill with red tape.
Their conversation is THEY talk. WE shut-up, listen, and OBEY.
Sounds like the boilerplate I get back from Casey and Toomey.
I can’t even get “boilerplate form letters” from Rubio, at least I get junk from Scott just the usual releases. Can’t get a reply from a three line e-mail from a staff flunky.
I initially supported this clown before the 2016 election, so glad Trump won (stupid tweets and all) since he clearly understood what this country needed in a way the swamp Republicans never have! Voted for Cruz in the primary and Trump in both general elections, Trump was far better with the exception of the idiotic bumpstock thing.
Well rusty that idiotic bump stock thing was dramatized by snot nosed politically inept clowns to the point it turned into biden votes. Had POTUS DJT not acted a knee jerk Congress would have and that meant such products as the Binary Triggers advertised on this forum would be history.
If you want more info contact Allen Gottlieb.
Bullshit.
So you’re saying Trump would have signed such a bill, or alternatively, was so incredibly weak, so fantastically useless, that he couldn’t even stop a veto-proof bill from his own party, for a bill that hadn’t even been created yet.
You’ve always espoused slave like loyalty to President Trump in the past. Why the change of heart? What makes you think he was the weakest president in history?
All Trump had to do was tell Congress to send him a bill. You know make the legislators do the job they’re paid for – to legislate. He didn’t have to do their job for them. An actual law would have addressed things like grandfathering and compensated turn-ins. Instead he left the door open for more “Chevron deference”, and set a precedent more more uncompensated government takings. We’ll regret this when they claim they can seize your MSR and not pay you a dime.
Why do people always go back to Trump? This is about another semi RINO who thinks the government should be able to take your second amendment away from you little by little. It always starts that way but ends up you loose. Seat belts for your own good have lead to so many unconstitutional laws it’s not funny. I wear a seat belt because I want to but I don’t believe the government had the right to make me, I’m an adult and can make up my own mind.
“…and that meant such products as the Binary Triggers advertised on this forum would be history.”
Possession of a binary trigger in Florida is now a felony, thanks to Rubio, Deborah…
Exactly. Thank you.
Don’t really want to hurt your feelings ,Debbie,BUT pull your nose out of Trumps azz.
Meh, my concern is more about sensible “gun violence”. No one ever wants to address that.
Strych9,
Exactly!!!!
Agree- I’m against ANY violence unless it’s necessary…
Always with the Bigger Govt. is Better Govt. — Jackass.
What that pint size wishy washy RINO is saying is, The 2A is for sale, trade or rent.
Without reservation I strongly advise Marco to keep it up front in his mind that history clearly shows Gun Control is a product of racists and nazis and their useful idiots.
Sounds about like the squishy flotsam I got from one of my senators (Formaldehyde-Smith, R-MS) after I voiced my concerns over the bump stock rule. I won’t waste electrons on that one again.
Good article. But to be honest, the only takeway I had by the time I finished was realizing that Dianne Feinstein is 5’10” tall. I always thought she was a hunched over shrew.
You see?…we learn new things on TTAG every day.
Apparently, the soap from those ‘disco bubble parties’ Rubio used to enjoy got up his butt and washed away his spine. Now, he will believe whatever he is paid to believe.
So that’s how he takes his cocaine.
since it has now been discovered that we are able to breathe through our anus’ we have doubled our lifesaving respiration options.
mmm… soapycoke.
Rubio was barely sworn in as a freshman back in Obama’s first term when he betrayed his base on immigration. The fact that he’s still in office shows how useless electoral politics has become.
Reminds me Peter Russo from HOC. Spineless fuck.
Rubio was playing to his base,I don’t blame him for that. He’s from southern Florida Cuban voter base.
Rubio is my Senator. I too have written him and recieved a robotic response to my concerns. He is a rat to be polite. His partner Rick Scott is no better. Both are globalists and would sell their mothers if it gained them something
Face it. Our government is deserving of fumigation with Zylkon B. Nothing less will solve its problems.
There is no “but” in the 2nd A Little Marco Rubio.
However it does say ‘shall not be *infringed*”.
You’re either with us or with them, and the Devil owns the fence you’re sitting on Marco Rubio.
Rubio has always been a RINO. I’m glad I never voted for him but that still didn’t stop him from being elected sadly.
There’s a reason he is called “foam boi.”
I support Little Marco, but . . . .
Imagine a Che Shirt, with Marco’s face under that long hair and beret.
Imagine hundreds of people wearing it at the FL Republican Convention.
If you claim to support the 2nd, but! you do not support the 2nd.
There is word out that marco’s next opponent in the Senate race will be val demmings. If you know anything about her, you would rather have marco
That’s the whole problem in a nutshell. Quisling vs. Communist.
Val wants to be governor…………..no chance
What do you expect from a RINO with such tiny hands? Outside of Crenshaw and Paul there’s not a sitting member of government that I would pass in if they were on fire!
*piss…damn auto corrrect .
Doesn’t Crenshaw support red flag laws too?
Red Flag Crenshaw isn’t any better than Red Flag Rubio or Red Flag DeSantis.
I got the same form response.
Sad.
Not impressed with him or Skeletor. I got this same letter from little Marco.
Skeletor is even worse. I will vote for a den before I’ll vote for Skeletor.
He’s not my senator but don’t ever trust him. Remember he welcomed the support of the Tea Party, he ran with it and won with it to only turn his back on them after being elected.
Rubio is a pandering politician. Don’t trust him.
Guide needs to go out fishing.
Guido! Damned auto-correct.
at least it made sense!
Remember when a Ukrainian company gave Hunter Biden $850k for a do-nothing board position? If that’s not an obvious bribe to Vice President Biden, I don’t know what was.
Remember when a publisher gave Marco Rubio an $850k advance against the royalties his book would never produce? Guess what that money was really for…
And China boasting about the Foundations they set up for Hunter Biden and how much money is being channeled into those Foundations.
Jo Biden is the true Manchurian Candidate. And he didn’t need brainwashing. Not enough brain to wash.
Certainly are a lot of citizens purchasing gunms, the gunm ban thing might lose me some votes.
Hey vote for me, I’m 100% for the 2 an a 1/2 Ammendment.
Naw, competition is racist. Gotta be a member of the human race!
RUBIO needs to PRIMARIED with the REST of the RINOs . . . Where is his SENSE of DUTY regarding UPHOLDING the U.S. Constitution?!? The Bill of Rights ARE in the U.S. Constitution – they are NOT “heavenly suggestions” but were WRITTEN to UPHOLD our GOD GIVEN rights as per the FOUNDING FATHERS directed by GOD himself. One Enlightened And WARY Patriot. Team Trump And His Allies 2020 – MAGA (WE’RE NOT going away!).
Rubio, like many FL “R’s”, has been trash for a VERY long time.
Another snake-in-the-grass. The swamp is crawling with them.
“We currently lack the tools for law enforcement, or families, to take away guns from someone in their community they know is a danger to themselves or others.”
I want a law passed that can take away a legislators vote when they are a danger to my rights!
Years ago, when Rubio was running for the Senate, I was in contact with a very dedicated Florida conservative who did extensive research on Rubio’s background. She said he was a very dangerous person who had the ability to look entirely genuine and patriotic but that he has a very corrupt past that he took great pains to cover up. She was so unnerved by what she found that she became fearful of what might happen to her if she exposed her findings. She eventually disappeared from the rador. I’ve never been able to recontact her. Apparently others had suffered a terrible fate from finding truth about the sweet, charming fellow. Rubio is the most dangerous type of politician. History has seen his type and the result.
Rubio’s a RINO. He’s been a RINO from the start.
These statements by Sen Rubio are nothing more than ‘pablum’ to be fed to the masses as a means of convincing them that he is doing something. Not one of his recommendations/Bills attack the real issue with gun violence and that is Mental Health and keeping those with mental problems from getting or having weapons which the previously purchased. All of the citizens with legally purchased weapons have been screened / Background Checked but Rubio says nothing about arresting and prosecuting those who have failed a background check more likely by falsifying information on the Fed Form. He says nothing about a massive crackdown on the sale and transportation of stolen or illegally acquired firearms nor increasing security in and around the outdoor/parking lots of ‘gun and knife shows’ where many sales occur under the table. He has no intent of developing a workable solution.
I wrote to him about his lack of interest in the rampant voter fraud that too place on Nov 3. I got a similar form letter last week in response. He is a complete zero and I look forward to voting for anyone who runs against him in the primary.
I am glad that the First Amendment is being used to expose dangers to the Second Amendment. We must continue this process to shine a light on all of the “under the radar” activities of the politicians until they are all fully exposed. Good job, carry on.
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