00:00 I want to ask you one question.
00:08 You use the term machine gun.
00:10 Can you tell me how many crimes have ever been committed with a legally owned class
00:15 3 weapon?
00:16 No.
00:17 I am right here.
00:20 The answer was no.
00:22 I invoked machine guns only to enumerate the offenses that have been adopted recently in
00:27 the District of Columbia.
00:28 I think the answer is one.
00:33 Legally owned class 3 weapons.
00:34 I think there was one crime.
00:37 I got you.
00:38 I am talking about nationwide.
00:39 This is with the federal criminal ban on the machine gun.
00:43 I am talking about, use the term machine gun, which is a class 3 weapon.
00:47 I am talking about a legally owned class 3 weapon.
00:51 I think there has been one crime committed with a legally owned class 3 weapon.
00:55 Let's not confuse law abiding gun owners with people who illegally own a class 3 weapon.
01:01 I got you.
01:02 The statute that I was invoking locally is one that punishes illegal ownership.
01:08 Actually, it says no person shall possess.
01:15 Even if you legally own one, you can't possess it in Washington, D.C.
01:20 The statute does not deal with legal ownership.
01:22 That is where those of us who legally own things and have permits to carry have issues.
01:29 I want to read you something else in the D.C. law.
01:33 No person shall within the District of Columbia possess with intent to use unlawfully against
01:37 another an imitation pistol, a dagger, dirk, razor, stiletto, or knife with a blade longer
01:45 than 3 inches or other dangerous weapon.
01:49 They prohibit you from having anything inside the Washington area.
01:56 You cited some statistics.
02:00 I think you quoted the monthlies, though.
02:03 I want to give you the 22 to 23 statistics.
02:10 According to the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police, homicide, 22 to 23, up 35%.
02:17 In 2023?
02:19 Between 2022 and 2023, it went up 35%.
02:22 2024 is not over yet, to my knowledge.
02:26 The last four years' stats went up 35%.
02:30 Violent crime went up 39% in Washington, D.C. from 22 to 23.
02:36 There is clearly a problem here.
02:37 I was just giving the comparative period for this year in the wake of their legislation.
02:42 You are talking about a month to month, though.
02:44 By definition, yes.
02:48 That is not
02:50 It is the first half of the year.
02:51 It is not a statistically I am a risk management guy.
02:58 Statistically, you need to go on annual.
03:01 You have significant increases in violent crime in this area between 2022 and 2023.
03:07 Here is my question.
03:10 You are opposed to us saying that a 25 year old is not a youth.
03:19 Their statute, as I understand it, is 24 year old.
03:21 It is under 25.
03:23 It is the same one that exists in South Carolina.
03:30 Constitutionally, we don't have control over what South Carolina does.
03:33 It is different with Washington, D.C.
03:36 I wonder about that.
03:38 You don't think we could pass a nationwide law on this subject?
03:45 I think it is very different.
03:47 I think you can have honest differences of opinion with regard to what Congress's role
03:51 in Washington, D.C. is from a governance standard and what it is in the States.
03:59 Then it becomes a policy question.
04:01 Fair enough.
04:02 My point is this.
04:04 Violent crime has gone up significantly in Washington, D.C.
04:07 Not this year.
04:08 It has gone down significantly.
04:09 From 2022 to 2023, it went up 35 percent.
04:12 If it went down 35 percent, it is still back to the 2022 levels.
04:18 I support the bill.
04:20 I think it is ridiculous that anyone would say that a 24 year old is a youth, especially
04:28 when it comes to violent crime.
04:32 If someone is a violent person, they are not going to change.
04:36 They are just not going to change.
04:39 I hope we pass the rule.
04:41 I hope we pass the bill.
04:42 I hope the Senate will do their job and pass it as well.
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