Opponents Lobby Against DC Gun Bill at Capitol Hill

District leaders are angry that Congress is trying to weaken Washington's gun laws and make it easier to do things like carry concealed weapons.

DC gun opponents tried to lobby on Capitol Hill against a move to eliminate many of the District's gun restrictions. They walked the halls of Congress with parents of recent murder victims seeking to be heard after a rally at City Hall.

SE DC resident Travon White at a City Hall rally named off a long list of his friends who've been killed by guns on D.C. streets. ABC 7 Talkback: Click Here to Comment on this Story

From the mayor on down Wednesday, they expressed outrage over a gun bill for D.C.introduced by Arizona Republican senator John McCain (web | news | bio) up for re-election and montana democrat john tester.

"A campaign stunt," said Councilman David Catania.

The bill's changes include allowing concealed weapons in D.C. and repealing the city ban on assault weapons

Also at the rally were parents of victims of the deadly shootings around South Capitol Street involving an AK-47.

Victim Jordan Howe's father Norman Williams was among the attendees and said, "This is an outrage we can't have a law like this passed."

"I don't think an AK-47 should be anywhere. And we all have seen what it has done to my child's body," stated Nardyne Jeffries, Brishell Jones' mother.

D.C. Resident Trayon White said, "We can't get quality education in our community or healthy food but we can get an AK-47!"

After the rally the parents and gun opponents took their protest to Capitol Hill. They first talked to D.C. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton (web | news | bio) who supports them. Then they tried to get hearings with Senator McCain, but were unsuccessful. They tried John Tester's office but that senator was not in.

They ran into Montana Lt. Governor John Bolinger who was visiting.

"He's good friend of yours...we think he's doing the wrong thing by introducing gun legislation," they told Bolinger.

They had a brief meeting with one of Tester's aides.

One of the ironies is that D.C. abandoned a bill that would have given the city a vote in Congress because of amendments that would also have made the city accept more gun laws. Now the bill is dead, but the gun amendments are very much alive.

The NRA issued a statement Wednesday evening saying that it "remains committed to restoring self-defense rights of District residents by whatever legal or legislative means necessary."

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