Lake County Gazette

Illinois State Sen. Craig Wilcox (R-McHenry) recently responded to President Joe Biden's promise to ban assault weapons. 

According to The Center Square, since taking over at the White House, Biden has moved to enact several executive actions pushing the boundaries of his constitutional authority, including imposing an eviction moratorium, COVID mandates and a pledge to "ban assault weapons." These actions have prompted legal challenges and rulings crafted to rein in his agenda.

Lake County Gazette reached out to Wilcox for a comment on the president's vow to ban assault weapons. 

"I think the president and far Left politicians are only looking at the symptoms of gun crimes and not the root cause. Our country has always had access to firearms. Why are these horrific acts of violence happening now? We need to address the problem at its root cause," Wilcox told Lake County Gazette.

Wilcox believes that a ban on assault weapons would be unconstitutional.

"The Constitution is one of the most remarkable documents in the history of the world. One of the reasons it is so remarkable is the fact that no one is above the law, including the president," Wilcox said. "The rights in our Constitutions are guaranteed and no one – including the president – can change that."

Wilcox said that gun runners should speak out to ensure that their Second Amendment rights are not infringed on.

"Legal gun owners must not stay silent. Our rights are under attack and it is imperative for everyone who values our rights and freedom to get involved in the fight to defend our liberties," Wilcox said. "We have more than enough gun laws. We don’t need any more."

Back in January, Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Chris Murphy (D-CT) introduced the “Assault Weapons Ban,” which would “ban the sale, transfer, manufacture and importation of military-style assault weapons and high-capacity magazines and other high-capacity ammunition feeding devices,” The Center Square reported.

The U.S. Supreme Court recently bolstered gun rights by taking steps to strike down a New York gun law that required residents to prove they had “proper cause” to receive a permit to carry a firearm outside the home with Chief Justice John Roberts writing that the court “recognized that the Second and Fourteenth Amendments protect the right of an ordinary, law-abiding citizen to possess a handgun in the home for self-defense,” according to The Center Square.