[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 176 (Thursday, November 17, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2073]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            NATIONAL RIGHT-TO-CARRY RECIPROCITY ACT OF 2011

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. GERALD E. CONNOLLY

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, November 16, 2011

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the state of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 822) to 
     amend title 18, United States Code, to provide a national 
     standard in accordance with which nonresidents of a State may 
     carry concealed firearms in the State.

  Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Mr. Chair, after a decade in which 10 to 12 
thousand Americans were murdered with guns every single year, the House 
is considering legislation to protect criminals' ability to carry 
concealed weapons. This reckless legislation almost certainly would add 
to our gun homicide rate, which is already 19.5 times higher than other 
developed countries. This bill will likely add to the gun violence 
death toll, which totals over 1 million Americans since 1968.
  H.R. 822, the National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act, could open the 
door for criminals or terrorists to use fraudulent concealed weapon 
permits from other states. As the Virginia State Police wrote in a 
letter that I will submit for the record, state police in one state 
frequently are unable to verify a concealed carry permit from another 
state. For those states where verification is possible, in many cases 
states have already established reciprocity. It would be reckless, 
however, to establish a uniform reciprocity standard under which our 
police cannot verify many concealed carry permits. Can we risk the 
possibility that a violent criminal or a terrorist could be pulled over 
yet be allowed to continue on their way because the police officer is 
unable to check the validity of a concealed carry permit? Regardless of 
our respective positions on concealed carry laws, I would hope that we 
can at least legislate in a manner that preserves the ability of police 
to protect our communities from violent criminals.
  Finally, it is ironic that the self-appointed defenders of states' 
rights would negate public safety laws across America through 
Congressional fiat. This bill effectively negates any concealed carry 
laws in states for out of state residents in a gross abuse of 
Congressional power which endangers our communities and first 
responders.
  This destructive legislation only will add to the death toll that has 
already caused so much grief in communities like Northern Virginia. I 
urge my colleagues to vote against it.

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