Rep. Greg Steube (R-FL) is pushing legislation to put lockers in House office buildings where Congressional employees could store firearms and other tools they use for personal safety while traveling to and from work.

FOX News reported that Steube’s bill, the Safe Storage Lockers for House Office Buildings Act, is a reaction to the rising crime in Washington, DC.

Steube issued a press release on his efforts, noting, “Violent crime has skyrocketed across the country, enabled by disastrous soft-on-crime Democrat policies. Sadly, our nation’s capital is regressing to total lawlessness and violent chaos. Today, I’m introducing legislation to ensure Congressional employees have the right to defend themselves in crime-ridden D.C.”

He added, “My bill is simple: any employee who is lawfully permitted to carry a firearm, stun gun, or self-defense spray will be able to bring those weapons on their commute to a House Office Building and safely store the weapon until they are ready to depart the building.”

AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio and a Turning Point USA Ambassador. AWR Hawkins holds a Ph.D. in Military History, with a focus on the Vietnam War (brown water navy), U.S. Navy since Inception, the Civil War, and Early Modern Europe. Follow him on Instagram: @awr_hawkins. You can sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.