The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case challenging the federal law that prohibits illegal drug users from possessing firearms, a ruling that could have major implications for Second Amendment rights.
The Fifth Circuit Supreme Court of Appeals previously struck down the law as unconstitutional, arguing that it violated the right to bear arms. The Trump Justice Department is appealing that decision, maintaining that drug users represent a “unique threat” when allowed access to guns.
The case will test the limits of the Supreme Court’s 2022 “history and tradition” standard, which requires any firearm regulation to align with historical precedent.
The law in question was also used to convict Hunter Biden, son of the former president, who was found guilty of lying about his drug use to purchase a firearm.
Supreme Court to Review
Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov described his recent call with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio as “constructive,” ahead of a planned meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Budapest. The date for the summit has not yet been set, but it will mark the second bilateral meeting between the two leaders this year.
Speaker Johnson Delays Swearing-In of Arizona’s Adelita Grijalva
House Speaker Mike Johnson has again defended his decision to delay the swearing-in of Representative-elect Adelita Grijalva, who won a special election in Arizona at the end of September.
Johnson said the formal ceremony would occur once the Senate passes a government funding bill and the House returns to session, adding pointedly:
“In the meantime, instead of doing TikTok videos, she should be serving her constituents.”
He argued that Grijalva could still assist constituents remotely during the ongoing government shutdown, which entered day 20 on Sunday.
House Republicans Blame Schumer for Ongoing Shutdown
At a press conference marking three weeks of the shutdown, Johnson asserted that the standoff was about “one thing and one thing only Chuck Schumer’s political survival.”
Republicans allege that the Senate majority leader is stalling a House-passed stopgap funding bill under pressure from progressive Democrats. Johnson also claimed Democrats intentionally delayed negotiations to coincide with the No Kings protests taking place nationwide.
