Statement of Paul Helmke on Federal Government's Filing in Guns in Parks Litigation

/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Paul Helmke, President of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, issued the following statement:

"Late Friday night, the United States Department of Justice filed a response to lawsuits filed by the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence as well as the National Parks Conservation Association and the Coalition of National Park Service Retirees. The suits seek to enjoin and strike down a last-minute rule change by the Bush Administration's Interior Department which overturned sensible restrictions on concealed firearms in our national parks established by the Reagan Administration a quarter century ago. Allowing concealed guns into our historically safe parks was a potentially dangerous and ill-conceived idea. In our suit, we argue that the Bush Administration clearly violated laws, including the National Environmental Policy Act, in promulgating the rule.

"Recently released documents from this case reveal that even senior officials in the Bush Administration recognized that the new rule was unnecessary, potentially dangerous, and promulgated in a way that federal environmental laws did not allow. We are disappointed that the new Administration's initial response has been to defend this rule in court, instead of recognizing that the Bush Administration acted illegally. We are confident that the new rule will be struck down in court."

Statement of Paul Helmke on Selection of Kirsten Gillibrand for U.S. Senate Seat From New York

/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Paul Helmke, President of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, issued the following statement about New York Governor David Paterson's selection of Congresswoman Kirsten Gillibrand to fill the U.S. Senate seat of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton:

"We have been disappointed by Representative Kirsten Gillibrand's record on preventing gun violence during her one term in Congress. For example, she supported legislation that would have weakened efforts to fight illegal gun trafficking. We are hopeful, however, that as a United States Senator representing the entire state of New York she will follow the example of Senator Charles Schumer and former Senator Clinton and work with us to make it harder for dangerous people to get dangerous weapons in this country."

As the nation's largest, non-partisan, grassroots organization leading the fight to prevent gun violence, the Brady Campaign, with its dedicated network of Million Mom March Chapters, works to enact and enforce sensible gun laws, regulations and public policies. The Brady Campaign is devoted to creating an America free from gun violence, where all Americans are safe at home, at school, at work, and in our communities.