Collins talks guns, health care, debt with Chamber

Newly elected U.S. Congressman Doug Collins spoke about a variety of issues Friday with Madison County Chamber of Commerce members, including gun control, the national debt and health care reform.

The Republican representative for Georgia’s Ninth Congressional District, which includes Madison County, ate lunch with Chamber members at the Ila Restaurant, then offered an overview of his first days in Washington before fielding questions from the audience.

“As a veteran, I’m very concerned about the second amendment and I’d like to hear your stance on gun control and especially assault rifles,” said Gerry Burdette to Collins.

The Congressman said he opposes proposed federal gun regulations.

“The whole situation that has developed over the past year in which sick and twisted individuals did some sick and twisted things,” said Collins. “When you see something like that you want to help. You want to do something to feel better.

Attacking the instrumentality of a very sick individual and that’s just not the proper way to go about this.”

Collins said he doesn’t think the gun legislation proposed by Sen. Diane Feinstein will make it out of the Senate.

He said potential limitations on how many rounds could be carried in a clip seem arbitrary.

Somebody told me, “‘We don’t need a 30-round or 50-round magazine capacity.’ And I asked, ‘Well, what is the proper capacity.’”

The Congressman said that he knows people who are well-trained with rifles who could fire off three 10-round clips before someone less trained could fire a 30-round clip. He said assault rifle laws can be illogical.

“Did any of you see the hearing that showed a Remington rifle?” Collins asked the Chamber members. “And if you took a plastic handgrip, it became illegal as an assault rifle. That’s the craziness we’re dealing with.”

For the rest of the story, visit our online “e-edition” of The Journal. Just click on “Online E-Edition” above.