Sen. Inhofe: ‘The Second Amendment Prevailed Today’

Sen. Jim Inhofe on Wednesday lauded the defeat of gun-control legislation in the Senate — saying “the Second Amendment prevailed today.”

“Many efforts were made today to address gun violence, but a majority of the restrictions presented were all predicated on one assumption: that somehow we think that the criminal element will single out this one law to comply with,” the Oklahoma Republican said in a statement.

“Instead, amendments such as the one to ban assault weapons and another to expand the gun-background check system would have only further restricted firearms for law-abiding Oklahomans.

Latest: Do You Support Background Checks on Gun Buyers? Vote in Urgent Poll

“We can and should reduce violent crime in our nation, and we can do so without compromising our constitutional rights,” Inhofe said, adding that he had backed “a common-sense substitute amendment” that would have sought stricter enforcement of current gun laws and addressed mental-health issues.

“We have a historic privilege in the United States to exercise our right to keep and bear arms,” Inhofe said. “I will also continue the fight to prevent passage of any legislation that relinquishes citizens’ Second Amendment rights.”

Inhofe’s substitute amendment was cosponsored by GOP Sens. Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Ted Cruz of Texas.

Senators rejected legislation to expand background checks on gun purchases by a 54-to-46 vote.