Today, House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Rob Bishop (R-Utah) and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) sent a letter to U.S. Virgin Islands Governor Kenneth Mapp, requesting information regarding Mapp’s executive order that allows the National Guard to seize firearms from citizens.

“On September 4, 2017, in preparation for the Hurricane Irma’s landfall, you signed an executive order declaring a state of emergency for the U.S. Virgin Islands directing the Adjutant General of the National Guard to mobilize units as necessary to maintain or restore public order and to guarantee the safety of life and property on the islands. The order, still in effect today, stated that, ‘the Adjutant General is authorized to seize arms, ammunition, explosives, and incendiary material and other property required’ in carrying out the emergency mission…

“However, in an interview two days later on September 6, 2018, you explained that neither the language of the order nor Virgin Islands Code, allows the seizure of weapons from citizens…

“The inconsistency between the language in the executive order and Virgin Islands Code allowing for the seizure of legally owned firearms and your public statements regarding how the executive order will be implemented is concerning and potentially jeopardizes citizens’ right to bear arms.”

Click here to read the full letter.

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