The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (CCRKBA) has announced its strong support for national concealed carry reciprocity legislation introduced this week by Congressman Richard Hudson (R-NC), chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee.
The proposed bill aims to ensure that concealed carry permits issued in one state are recognized nationwide. President-elect Donald J. Trump, set to be inaugurated on January 20, has already pledged to sign a reciprocity bill should it reach his desk.
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“The time is long past due for this nation to enter the 21st Century by recognizing the right to bear arms doesn’t stop at state borders,” said CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb. “This is, and always has been, a core issue for the Citizens Committee, and we will encourage all of our members and supporters to tell Congress it is time to make reciprocity the law of the land.”
Gottlieb emphasized the significance of the Supreme Court’s 2010 McDonald v. City of Chicago decision, which incorporated the Second Amendment to the states through the 14th Amendment. He argued that states should honor concealed carry permits issued by other states, citing the constitutional protection of self-defense.
“It is simply a matter of common sense that all states should automatically and unflinchingly honor carry permits and licenses issued by every other state,” Gottlieb stated. “The bearing of arms for self-defense is a constitutionally protected right, and it’s time for states such as California, Connecticut, Oregon, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and the District of Columbia to recognize that.”
An earlier attempt at passing national concealed carry reciprocity succeeded in the House of Representatives in 2017 but was not taken up by the Senate. Supporters of the new measure hope that renewed momentum under the Trump administration will lead to its passage.
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“Passage of a national reciprocity bill will go far in the effort to fully restore the Second Amendment to its rightful place in the Bill of Rights following years of erosion,” said Gottlieb. “When we became a nation, the right to keep and bear arms traveled with all Americans as they moved from state to state. The right was honored and respected from sea to shining sea, and it should be the same today.”
The CCRKBA has vowed to mobilize its members to push for swift congressional action on the legislation. With President-elect Trump’s support, gun rights advocates are optimistic that national reciprocity could soon become law, bringing uniformity to concealed carry laws across the country and reinforcing Second Amendment protections.
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