Make room on Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton‘s enemies list, in between the cars that drive themselves and the cars that don’t. After a rash of congressional staffers packing heat in the Capitol, Norton finds herself in a so-far fruitless battle with House Sergeant-at-Arms Paul D. Irving over which laws prohibit guns in the building.

In an email to congressional representatives, Irving blamed the ban on guns inside Congress on the District’s laws. In fact, Norton says in a Wednesday press release asking Irving for a correction, it’s federal laws that prohibit all firearms in Congress. After the Supreme Court’s 2008 Heller decision, meanwhile, some guns are allowed in the District.

“Irving should recognize that federal law with respect to Capitol Grounds goes much further in its firearm restrictions than D.C. law,” the press release reads.

The not-so-sub subtext from Norton: by trying to repeal the District’s gun laws, congressional Republicans want to impose looser gun laws on the city than they practice in their own offices.

Irving didn’t respond to LL’s request for comment. And Norton hasn’t had much luck, either. In a press release sent out today, Norton says Irving’s staff has refused to correct the email.

“It is unprofessional for a police agency to be reluctant to correct an error,” Norton says.

Photo by Darrow Montgomeery