Protecting your constitutional rights is the greatest responsibility of any Member of Congress. This includes protecting the Second Amendment and the right of law-abiding citizens to legally carry firearms to ensure safety for themselves and their family. This right, just like the other rights guaranteed to American citizens by the United States Constitution, should be respected and preserved.

Knowing of your interest in Second Amendment issues, I wanted to let you know that I have signed on as a cosponsor of H.R. 38, the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act. Introduced by Congressman Richard Hudson of North Carolina, this bipartisan legislation falls under the jurisdiction of the House Judiciary Committee, which I chair. The premise of H.R. 38 is simple; if you are eligible to carry a concealed firearm in your state of residence, you should be able to carry a concealed firearm in another state that allows individuals to do so. Your constitutional rights do not vanish when you cross the state line.

For folks in the Sixth District and communities throughout the country, a jumble of state and local concealed carry laws for firearms make it confusing for citizens to follow. Without reciprocity, a Virginian carrying a concealed firearm while traveling to Pennsylvania would need to route the trip to avoid crossing Maryland’s borders. And a Pennsylvanian would have to be careful about crossing into Maryland or New York while carrying.

Click here to read my recent weekly column about H.R. 38, the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act.

Law-abiding citizens should not forfeit their Second Amendment rights simply by traveling to another state. With more than 210 cosponsors in the House of Representatives, this bill has drawn growing support from lawmakers of both parties representing communities across the country. I look forward to working toward the passage of H.R. 38 in the House. As always, if I may be of assistance to you, please do not hesitate to contact my office.

Quoted:
Sounds great but what happens to LEOs, District Attorneys, and Judges that ignore that law and arrest and imprison Joe Citizen? Places like NYC routinely violate FOPA and nothing ever happens to the jack booted government agents involved.

Quoted:
Sounds great but what happens to LEOs, District Attorneys, and Judges that ignore that law and arrest and imprison Joe Citizen? Places like NYC routinely violate FOPA and nothing ever happens to the jack booted government agents involved.