Congressman Dingell participates in Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus Shootout on May 17, 2004

In December 2007, the House and Senate passed the legislation, marking the first gun violence prevention legislation passed in Congress in over a decade.

Civil Rights and Civil Liberties
Throughout his tenure, Congressman Dingell has fought to ensure all Americans are granted equal rights. He was a leader in the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and was present at it signing by President Johnson. More recently, he supported the renewal of the Voting Rights Act, the passage of the first federal hate crimes bill, and the employment non discrimination act (ENDA). During the 111th Congress, Congressman Dingell has co-sponsored the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 and the Military Readiness Enhancement Act of 2009, which would repeal military’s the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy, and supported the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act 2009, which expands the scope of those who are protected under federal hate crimes statutes to include the gender, gender identity, disability, or sexual orientation of any person.

Congressman Dingell has long believed that America does not need to compromise its values in order to fight our adversaries. He was one of only 66 members of the House of Representatives to vote against the USA PATRIOT Act when it was first considered, believing that the legislation was rushed to the floor without proper consideration and endangered the civil liberties protections that Americans have come to cherish. He again voted against reauthorization of the PATRIOT Act. Congressman Dingell also voted against the Military Commissions Act because it did not provide habeas corpus rights to detainees held by the U.S. government. Congressman Dingell is a strong supporter of the new direction promoted by President Obama on civil liberties issues and supports his agenda to close the Guantanamo Bay Detention Facility and grant more rights to foreign prisoners in American custody.