Alaska Congresswoman Mary Peltola voted Wednesday night in favor of defunding the new White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention.
She was one of only two Democrats to vote for the measure, an amendment to a spending bill. The amendment failed by a vote of 208-212.
Peltola’s office declined to comment on her vote.
The sponsor of the measure, Rep. Matt Rosendale, R-Mont., argued that the office intrudes on the rights of gun owners.
“Since President Biden took office in January of ‘21, our 2nd Amendment rights have been under an assault,” Rosendale argued on the House floor. “And now, with the stroke of a pen, President Biden created the Office of Gun Violence Prevention, allowing his administration to bypass Congress unilaterally and implement the left’s gun control agenda.”
Opponents of the amendment said the office, created in September, will promote solutions that respect the rights of lawful gun owners while treating gun violence as a public health issue.
Peltola has positioned herself as a moderate. Protecting gun ownership and opposing gun control measures is one of the most visible ways she breaks with Democrats and follows in the footsteps of her Republican predecessor, the late Congressman Don Young.
Eight Republicans voted against the defunding measure, sinking the amendment.
Liz Ruskin is the Washington, D.C., correspondent at Alaska Public Media. Reach her at lruskin@alaskapublic.org. Read more about Liz here.
