Breaking: The GOP is scrambling to block the biggest pro-gun bill ever from reaching Trump's desk for signature
Mitch McConnell plans to adjourn the Senate on or around December 14. That's just eleven days away. That is how long we have to push through the biggest gun rights bill in your lifetime: the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act.
This is the legislation that would restore gun rights for millions of Americans. If you are licensed or permitted to carry a concealed weapon in one state, you would automatically have the right to carry in all 50 states.
Right now, states get to decide which other states' carry permits to honor. Some states, like Alaska, recognize all other states' concealed carry permits. Others, like New Jersey, do not honor ANY out-of-state carry permits. The Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act would fix that and provide nationwide reciprocity to all permit holders.
This will save lives and return the 2nd Amendment's promise of a right to bear (carry) arms to the Founders' original intent.
But more importantly, this legislation would completely dismantle the may-issue permit schemes in this country. Right now, California, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Massachusetts, Hawaii, Delaware, Connecticut, and Rhode Island all have policies in place known as "may-issue." What that means is that even if you are a law-abiding citizen, pass the training requirements, and meet all other statutory requirements, you still only may be granted a permit.
These states have had a century to perfect their anti-gun policies. In New Jersey, applicants are forced to prove they have a "justifiable need" to carry a weapon in public. Maryland judges whether applicants have a "good-and-substantial reason" to exercise their rights outside the home. California calls it "good cause." In Hawaii, the only way you can get a concealed carry permit is if an applicant "shows reason to fear injury to the applicant’s person or property."
It is impossible to meet these standards. Unless you happen to be politically well-connected or sleeping with a judge, you cannot get a carry permit in these states. There is nothing you can say to convince these states that you deserve the privilege to carry a firearm.
The Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act would finally allow law-abiding citizens to bypass these repressive regimes. More than 25% of all Americans would finally have a pathway to exercise their right to bear arms.
But if Mitch McConnell doesn't schedule the vote before the end of the month, we will have to start all over with this. Given the fact that Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats will be taking over the House, it'll be next to impossible to get back to this point again.
We have reached the now-or-never point...
The legislation has already passed the House of Representatives last year. The Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act has now gathered dust in the Senate for almost two years...
McConnell had promised a vote on it back in April. He swore that he would hold vulnerable Democrats' feet to the fire and force them to go on the record on the 2nd Amendment. The logic was simple. If vulnerable Democrats in North Dakota, Missouri, Florida, or West Virginia wanted to save their careers, they would have to vote for concealed carry reciprocity.
But McConnell never held the vote. He let these Democrats stand for re-election without having to go on the record on this issue. Most of them ended up losing, but Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) was able to hold on. McConnell squandered this opportunity. Why? Because he never wants to the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act to see the light of day.
We have been pressuring Congressmen and Senators alike to finish the job and send this bill to Trump's desk. Republicans don't want to touch it. Even Conservatives are getting skittish.
The Senate version of the bill has 41 sponsors and co-sponsors. One of them happens to be Idaho Senator James Risch (R). When he originally signed onto the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act back in 2014, Risch released a statement from his office.
"The Second Amendment is one of our fundamental rights. Lawful gun owners should not have to face a labyrinth of gun laws the second they cross into another state. This bill will ensure citizens who are able to carry concealed weapons can exercise that right in any state that has also passed a concealed carry law."
Today, Risch is singing a different tune. He was asked this week if he would help push the bill through before the end of the month deadline.
"You know, I'm really not conversing on that issue at this point."
It's absolutely shameful. The GOP can't run away from this issue fast enough...
Steve Scalise is trying to push this issue across the finish line before it's too late. As you know, he was shot during a Congressional baseball team practice last year. Unlike so many people who are affected by tragedy and call for gun control, Scalise understands that he is alive today because his security detail was allowed to carry across state lines (the practice was in Virginia).
President Trump is already on the record supporting concealed carry reciprocity. He explained on the campaign trail how he took the time to get a concealed carry permit in New York and was shocked when he learned it wasn't valid nationwide.
"If we can do that for driving -- which is a privilege, not a right -- then surely we can do that for concealed carry, which is a right, not a privilege. That seems logical to me."
Scalise has been working with President Trump on this. He got the President's commitment to sign the bill when it reaches his desk. But Establishment Republicans continue to block it from moving forward!
The clock is ticking. In exactly 30 days, Democrats take over the House. When that happens, the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act passed by the House already will go back to square-one.
This is our last chance, not only to expand the 2nd Amendment, but restore carry rights to tens of millions of Americans and protect the right to bear arms for generations to come.
History books will write about this moment. Please, help make sure they write about a 2nd Amendment victory, and not a defeat!
Don't give up,
Max McGuire
Advocacy Director
Conservative Daily
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