Steube unveiled the Safe Storage Lockers for House Office Buildings Act in response to what he and many others say is the soaring crime rate in Washington D.C.
This measure would mandate Capitol Police to install and oversee these secure lockers at the entrances of office buildings. Current D.C. and federal laws ban individuals from carrying any weapons inside federal buildings, though local laws permit concealed carry and the possession of stun guns and sprays used for self-defense.
The district and federal prohibition on possessing firearms in federal buildings works to prevent people from carrying defensive weapons to and from the job.
The high incidence of violent crime in the city is the driving force behind Steube’s effort, as he explained.
“Violent crime has skyrocketed across the country…Sadly, our nation’s capital is regressing to total lawlessness and violent chaos. Today, I’m introducing legislation to ensure congressional employees have the right to defend themselves in crime-ridden D.C.”
The representative noted that his proposal is simple. “Any employee who is lawfully permitted to carry a firearm, stun gun, or self-defense spray will be able to bring those weapons on their commute to a House Office Building and safely store the weapon until they are ready to depart the building.”
Steube’s bill was unveiled just two days after a contentious move by the Senate to overrule the Washington D.C. city council’s dramatic overhaul of the district’s criminal code. Critics on both sides of the aisle charged that the changes would inexplicably ease punishments for violent crimes at a time when those crimes are skyrocketing.
The House had already taken the same action, which is permissible under provisions in the U.S. Constitution governing the District of Columbia.
While raising the penalties for murders, the proposed law would have lowered maximum punishments for carjackings, robberies, and burglaries. Minimum sentences for most crimes would have been eradicated, and most misdemeanor cases would include the right to a jury trial.
Mayor Muriel Bowser expressed the same concerns as congressional critics and exercised her veto when the criminal code overhaul reached her desk.
That was not enough to derail the measure, as the city council voted 12-1 to override her veto. That was when Congress acted.
Now Steube wants to take the action a step further. In a press release from his office, he noted that many workers on Capitol Hill walk from home to and from their jobs and are exposed to the city’s startling crime rate.
How serious has it gotten and how much is the need for the ability to defend themselves?
In 2022, Washington D.C. racked up 200 murders for the second straight year, which is the first time that horrific feat has been done since 2003. Already this year, the capital city is well on the way to making it a third straight year with over 200 homicides.
The weapons locker proposal is a commonsense measure to protect congressional staffers in a dangerous environment. Many, including the D.C. mayor, saw the folly in reworking the criminal code to make penalties softer for violent crimes.
The Second Amendment clearly exists for, among many reasons, the ability for private citizens to defend themselves in times of danger. There is no right more basic and necessary than the right to defend yourself against those who would do you harm.
