The national reciprocity legislation that Rep. Richard Hudson (R-NC) put forward in January has now garnered 200 supporters in the House.
Breitbart News reported on January 3 that Hudson’s bill, Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2017 (CCRA), would make the concealed carry permit of one state valid in the other 49 states. It would also enable residents from permitless carry states to carry a gun for self-defense in the other 49 states if they have proof of residency in a permitless carry state.
According to Gun Owners of America (GOA), CCRA now has 199 co-sponsors, bringing the number of House supporters to 200 (including Hudson). GOA says the number of supporters represents “an almost unprecedented level of support” for any particular House legislation.
GOA observed, “It is almost certain to us that we — today — have the 218 votes (out of 435) we need in order to pass H.R. 38 in the House. In the Senate, we believe we’re close to the 60 votes we need to break a filibuster. Bottom line: There is no reason that we should wait to move this legislation through the House.”
Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) sponsored the national reciprocity legislation in the Senate.
The push for national reciprocity has garnered increased attention in the wake of the Alexandria attack, as various Republican congressmen have spoken of their desire to be permitted to carry a gun wherever they go. The attack highlighted–again–the pitfalls of our nation’s patchwork of concealed carry laws and how the incongruity of those laws prevents law-abiding citizens from being armed for self-defense at all times.
AWR Hawkins is the Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and host of Bullets with AWR Hawkins, a Breitbart News podcast. He is also the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.