Groups double down on national reciprocity debate as vote looms

With a bill to expand concealed carry protections across state lines set for a House floor vote on Wednesday, gun control advocates are opening their coffers in a bid to derail the measure.

The proposal, H.R. 38, has a block of Republican support and is on the House calendar for this week, prompting those against it to launch an offensive.

Both Everytown and Giffords have launched six-figure ad buys targeting members of Congress, in each case urging them to oppose concealed carry reciprocity. The groups have also taken to social media with the #StopCCR hashtag to publicize their efforts, offering suggested opposition statements to give to lawmakers.

“The ads call on voters to speak up about this dangerous bill and call on their leaders put the safety of communities before the interests of the gun industry,” said Peter Ambler, executive director of Giffords.

Other groups, to include Prosecutors Against Gun Violence, fronted by Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., and Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer, are slamming the legislation they say, “would impose weak gun laws on all 50 states.”

It should be noted that both Manhattan and Los Angeles have some of the country’s harshest laws when it comes to legal concealed carry.

On the opposite side of the political spectrum, the National Rifle Association is calling on members across a variety of channels to burn up the Congressional switchboard in support of the bill. Downplaying the addition of so-called FixNics background check system enhancement language to the reciprocity measure as a potential fly in the ointment that would turn off gun rights supporters, the organization says there are inaccuracies to claims it includes an Obama-style gun control push.

“This differs from former President Obama’s efforts, in which he attempted to administratively create new categories of individuals who were prohibited from possessing a firearm,” said the group in a statement rebutting comments from U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., saying the FixNics proposal, “is aimed squarely at individuals like the perpetrator of the recent murders in Texas, who should have been reported to NICS because of his disqualifying criminal history.”

Massie countered with a video arguing that adding any gun control language to the concealed carry reciprocity bill makes no sense and won’t help the measure gain support from Democrats in the Senate.

Latest Reviews

revolver barrel loading graphic

Loading