United States v. Cheeseman

I join the Majority’s thoughtful and comprehensive opinion in every respect save one: because I agree with the Majority that the phrase “involved in” as used in 18 U.S.C. § 924(d)(1) is unambiguous, I do not believe recourse to legislative history is necessary or proper.

When interpreting a statute, it has long been accepted that courts should only examine legislative history when the statutory text is ambiguous or otherwise unclear. See Ex Parte Collett, 337 U.S. 55, 61, 69 S.Ct. 944, 93 L.Ed. 1207 (1949). If the text is clear and unambiguous, our inquiry ends. BedRoc Ltd. v. United States,…