The head of the National Rifle Association’s Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA) is calling upon Congress to get to work to pass a measure that would ensure concealed carry reciprocity on a national basis.
In an Op-Ed posted at thehill.com, NRA-ILA Executive Director John Commerford said the work President Donald Trump has done to curtail crime in Washington, D.C., has been very effective. And part of that effort was to streamline approval of concealed carry permits, which have tended to lag in the District.
“Thankfully, part of the president’s initiative to make D.C. safe again is to ‘collaborate with appropriate local government entities to provide assistance to increase the speed and lower the cost of processing concealed carry license requests in the District of Columbia.’” Commerford wrote. “The goal is to cut the process, which once took numerous months, down to only four days.”
Since the president’s actions in D.C. indicate he understands the concept of concealed carriers saving lives, Commerford wrote that now it is time to go ever further than simply streamlining the process.
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“This directive makes it clear that the president is prioritizing our Second Amendment rights and believes law-abiding citizens should be able to protect and defend their families, no matter where they live,” he wrote. “However, it is not just Washington that needs law and order. Cities across the country, including Chicago and Baltimore, have become crime ridden—leaving people unsafe and, in many cases, unprotected.”
The answer, according to Commerford, is for Congress to pass national concealed carry reciprocity, doing away with laws that make a lawful a gun owner a felon simply by crossing state lines. In fact, a bill has already been introduced in the House by U.S. Rep. Richard Hudson, R-North Carolina. And President Donald Trump promised before the election to sign such a measure if it ever made it to his desk.
“The numerous disparities between state laws have created traps for lawful carriers, leading to an abundance of confusion and, in some cases, criminal charges for those simply exercising their Second Amendment rights,” Commerford explained. “Because of this, well-trained and law-abiding gun owners are less likely to protect themselves or those around them, for fear of being arrested and prosecuted—resulting in fewer ‘good guys with guns’ and more unarmed victims for ‘bad guys with guns.’”
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Ultimately, Commerford wrote that the president’s recent directive sends a clear message for Congress—it should not be more difficult for law-abiding Americans to practice their Second Amendment rights and defend themselves.
“We call on Congress to swiftly pass the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act and protect Americans from the crazy hoops and rules imposed by gun grabbers,” he concluded. “If we want to make D.C. and our cities safe again, Congress must act now.
“Criminals won’t stop at state lines, and neither can we.”