John Cornyn national reciprocity
courtesy washingtontimes.com and AP
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In what looks like a direct response to Diane Feinstein’s latest attempt to abrogate Second Amendment rights with her push for another “assault weapons” ban, Texas Senator John Cornyn and a gaggle of Republican co-sponsors have introduced a new concealed carry reciprocity bill in the Senate.

Here’s a press release from Sen. Cornyn’s site:

WASHINGTON –U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) introduced the Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act. This legislation will allow individuals with concealed carry privileges in their home state to exercise those rights in any other state with concealed carry laws, while abiding by that state’s laws.

“This bill focuses on two of our country’s most fundamental constitutional protections– the Second Amendment’s right of citizens to keep and bear arms and the Tenth Amendment’s right of states to make laws best-suited for their residents,” said Sen. Cornyn. “I look forward to working with my colleagues to advance this important legislation for law-abiding gun owners nationwide.”

The legislation is cosponsored by U.S. Senators John Barrasso (R-WY), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Mike Braun (R-IN), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Steve Daines (R-MT), Mike Enzi (R-WY), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), John Hoeven (R-ND), Johnny Isakson (R-GA), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Jim Inhofe (R-OK), Ron Johnson (R-WI), John Kennedy (R-LA), Jerry Moran (R-KS), David Perdue (R-GA), Rob Portman (R-OH), Jim Risch (R-ID), Pat Roberts (R-KS), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Richard Shelby (R-AL), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), John Thune (R-SD), Thom Tillis (R-NC), and Roger Wicker (R-MS).

Background on the Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act:

Protecting Fundamental Constitutional Rights:

  • Allows law-abiding citizens to exercise their fundamental right to self-defense while they are traveling or temporarily living away from home.
  • Allows individuals with concealed carry privileges in their home state to conceal carry in any other states that also allow concealed carry.
  • Treats state-issued concealed carry permits like drivers’ licenses where an individual can use their home-state license to drive in another state, but must abide by that other state’s speed limit or road laws.

Respecting State Sovereignty:

  • Does not establish national standards for concealed carry.
  • Does not provide for a national concealed carry permit.
  • Does not allow a resident to circumvent their home state’s concealed carry permit laws. If under current law an individual is prohibited by federal law from carrying a firearm, they will continue to be prohibited from doing so under our bill.
  • Respects state laws concerning specific types of locations in which firearms may not be carried and types of firearms which may not be carried by the visiting individual.
  • Protects states’ rights by not mandating the right to concealed carry in places that do not allow the practice.

Broad Support:

  • Last Congress, identical legislation had 40 cosponsors. In the 113th Congress, a nearly identical amendment received 57 votes in the Senate, including 13 Democrats.

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115 COMMENTS

  1. Where the hell was he when the Republicans had control of both chambers?
    This is nothing but bulls!t grandstanding. His bill will die in congress.
    Feinstein’s bill will die in the Senate. This is nothing but grandstanding on
    both sides.

    • Well didn’t it pass the house last time so it was introduced into the Senate, the same as this one, and then stayed in committee until it died.

      If they are just going to release stuff to stick in committee they should make a get rid of the Hughes Amendment bill. Or legalize bump stocks.

      • Exactly. The Rhinos in the senate screwed us.. both on this and on the HPA. Notably Paul Ryan. I have no respect for any of these two faced shams anymore…

        • Conservative, Inc™.

          Their priorities are 1) getting re-elected and 2) keeping their snouts in the trough.

          Not to be confused with actual conservatives.

          Around 40 of them retired last election cycle, good riddance.

        • HR 38 (reciprocity) passed the House, which is where Paul Ryan was Speaker. Blame belongs in the Senate, which didn’t even bring it up for debate or a vote.
          Maybe you’re confusing it with HPA. They also combined HR 367 (HPA) with 3668 (S.H.A.R.E.), which passed out of committees, but never went to a floor vote.

      • The house bill passed last session differed from the Cronyn bill in that the House bill allowed reciprocity for all ccws, including non-resident ccws, while Cornyn’s bill required reciprocity only fro resident permits. I assume, without reading, that this is the same bill he introduced last session.

        It is not precisely true that the Republicans screwed us the last time around. The simple fact was that there were never 60 votes in the Senate to invoke cloture, without which both bills were doomed to a death by filibuster. I am pretty sure that that circumstance still prevails, made worse by the fact that the democrats rule the roost in the House, meaning no bill can pass.

        DOA.

        • I agree I’m concerned with the democrats just going all out nuclear the next time they get a 51 majority, but we need to fight against that option as much as possible. If a 51 majority becomes the standard to pass the senate for everything, there’s going to be all kinds of dumb shit coming down the pipeline. The 60 vote rule helps curtail government. Personally I think it should go back to the 67 vote rule that it was before the 1970s. Getting 67 votes in the senate is damn near impossible. And that’s a good thing.

        • The GOP had shut down the government over “The wall”. Don’t give me this “well, they couldn’t get cloture so it’s really not their fault” bullshit. That’s their excuse for not doing stuff they don’t want to do. Stop being such a easy mark for them.

        • No, he’s right, the rule was originally a two-thirds majority “of those present and voting.” If 100 Senators voted, that would be 67. In 1975, it was changed to 60 “duly sworn and seated” Senators, so it didn’t matter how many voted.

        • Throw out the whole rule and reinstate true filibusters. Make them talk and actually delay action — not just say “holding” while playing chess to rpetend.

      • Well if we can legalize mind alteri g drugs for pleasure use why can’t we legalize the right to concealed carry permits? If we are going to have more and more drug crazed loons out there who won’t or can’t work, they are going to have to get money from somewhere and I for one plan to protect my family and property, even if that means the criminals will have to pay.

    • What’s funny about this is that they keep playing the same dog-and-pony-show over and over again. Cornyn’s hubris is amazing, however. What this shows is the level of contempt Cronyn and the other Uniparty republicans have for the people they claim to represent. The elected republicans had no intention of ever passing a law such as this.

    • I agree. The Repubs p#ssed away 2 good years to peel back a lot of Liberal B.S. and make some good Conservative inroads. Nope, RINO’s soiled the deal. Damn fools. Covering their tracke. Same old playbook.

    • You could very well be right. BUT…. Stop Complaining. Start helping start a ground-swell of citizens [in all states] to back him.
      If you get enough voters backing him, he and others will have no choice but to put up or shut up.
      Even those in states like mine (Maryland), politicians have no choice but to listen. Sooner or later our “antis” are going to have to think, “what do I have to do to ‘stay elected.'”

    • It is funny how many people believe that Republicans had control of both chambers in the 115th Congress. Why do we have this current shutdown again? Right, 60 votes!

    • “Where the hell was he when the Republicans had control of both chambers?”

      It WAS introduced when the Republicans had majorities in both chambers. It was introduced last Congress.

      And the Republicans did not have “control” over the Senate, and have not had “control” of the senate for over 100 years. Last time Republicans had actual control (meaning, 60 votes) was in 1909 (although, back then, you didn’t have to vote in lockstep solidarity and many bills could be passed on a bipartisan basis).

      The last time any party could be said to have control of the Senate was Obama’s first term, when 57 Democrats were elected, one Republican flipped to Democrat, and two independents caucused with the Democrats, giving them 60 reliable votes (which is how we got ObamaCare).

    • A-F-ING-MEN BROTHER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! These damn RINOS are cowards. They are just as bad as the damn DEMONcrats. Next election make sure to get all our bros and their families together and get out and vote and help get out the vote.

  2. I’m glad our conservative politicians are so active in introducing bills like this now that there’s no chance of them passing. Sure glad the GOP didn’t squander the last two years..

    • Wasn’t good for their publicity then. Now they have a chance of moving up the ladder so manipulate away and do nothing later.

      Fuckin politicians. Same shit different toilet.

  3. For two years they had both houses and the Presidency. And nothing was accomplished.

    Clearly they don’t care about gun rights, they care about scoring political points, fear mongering and soliciting donations.

    Just like the NRA.

    • I can’t blame them for accomplishing nothing if the votes weren’t there.

      What I can blame them for is not even attempting to represent us. Two whole years to bring ANYTHING to a vote. Feinstein has gotten a vote on her idiotic AWB bill every year or so since the 1980s, and there’s a damn good chance some RINOs will get it out of committee after some shooting again.

      What’ve we gotten? Oh, a single House vote on Reciprocity, over the past what, 20-30 years? Opposing DNC gun control isn’t nearly good enough. Not when your own side is running own-goals against you. We need test votes on these issues, so we know who to replace with ACTUAL pro-gun representatives. Senior leadership like Cornyn have been covering for their anti-gun peers by shielding them from going on the record with vote tallies.

      I’ll hold my harsh words for McConnell since he’s the single guy standing between us and God knows what kind of gun control at this point, now that Trump has shown his colors & the House is lost.

        • We want the filibuster in place. Democrats won’t be in the minority forever, and someday the filibuster will be necessary to stop their crazy, evil crap.

        • “We want the filibuster in place.”

          The so-called “Filibuster Rule” is completely dependent upon the Senate Majority Leader, and the ability to get 51 votes to lower cloture vote to simple majority. Republicrat refusal to manipulate the Filibuster Rule confers no responsibility on the Demoncrats to refrain from manipulating the Filibuster Rule. This notion that “if we don’t do it, the Demoncrats will also be constrained” is a disparaged relic from long ago.

  4. It’s almost like both sides are approaching the same “problem” (“How can the government exert even MORE control over the citizenry?) from opposite ends, each with half the country’s support. Divide and conquer.

  5. His bill sucked compared to the House version last time. Also, this is just posturing because it has a zero % chance of becoming law.

  6. It’s almost like they are trying to placate the voters they betrayed with legislation in name only that will go nowhere.

    Now these lying traitors can say “I co sponsored national reciprocity legislation” knowing it will never come to a vote. How brave. How principled.

    Put up or shut up

    Show me

    F ‘em

  7. I think the idea is to get some bills on the floor to counter what the demorats are introducing. It suits the purpose of getting our points argued instead of just theirs.
    Ideally I would like to see somebody in the House do the same thing. I don’t care if its not going to get passed it still draws a line in the sand.
    Does anybody think Fienstein believes her’s will pass? No but she understands that it starts the dialog that someday could get it passed.
    We need to do the same thing.

  8. What the heck…..
    This will go nowhere when it could have passed as written even 2 weeks ago.
    Thanks for NOTHING. Senate.

    • No, it could not have passed last week, two weeks ago, or two months ago. There were not the 60 votes needed to get it to the floor for an up or down vote.

        • There were 57 the last time he got it voted on (2013).

          And he did introduce it last congress, and … just like this Congress, the votes aren’t there.

          If you don’t have 60 votes, you won’t get anything passed through the Senate, period.

      • I know it wouldn’t pass. But I wanted a vote to see who stood where in the senate.
        Florida has 2 RHINOs in there now. Last term Rubio was a partial shit. Now hes full on RHINO as far as I can tell.

        • “I know it wouldn’t pass. But I wanted a vote to see who stood where in the senate.”

          Exactly what the politicians do not want. Why would they want to out themselves in a losing battle?

          He who runs away lives to legislate another day.

  9. I actually appreciate that this one doesn’t set a national standard. That would make it harder to potentially use against us by setting unreasonable requirements for a permit. That said, respect states rights like you claim to do by making this an issue for the states to agree on. Maybe provide mild financial incentives to states that give 5050-state reciprocity. Otherwise show us how 2A you are with a repeal of the SBR/AOW/suppressor tax.

    • I think we should focus on making short barreled guns and suppressors non restricted. It’s a much simpler endeavor… Well, that is if law enforcement doesn’t stand against the 2A as they always do.

      • …yeah, that’s my preference. It’s actually in their direct purview too since it’s repeal of existing bad law. I question whether the whole reciprocity thing is even theirs to handle or if we’re enabling even more federal overreach just to get a shiny toy.

      • even ATF might be receptive to that….they seem to want to lessen their workload…weapons like the “shockwave” seem to laying the groundwork…..

  10. Ridiculous! Several pro-2A groups contacted me in late 2018, asking that I contact Grassley and my local senators in an effort to get the bill ‘unburied’ before the House changed control. I’m sure many did just as I did, and we heard NOTHING from those we contacted! This is nothing short of self-serving political grandstanding! There was a time for action on CCW reciprocity…and they let it slip away. ‘They’ do not care about gun owners’ rights; just appearing to be in our side for purposes of re-election and fundraising!

    • Gun owners are to Republicans what black people are to Democrats: a captive demographic. The political oligarchy keeps us on separate plantations and farms us for votes.

      • It’s not like there’s a choice, either. Democrats are actively working to make me a criminal. Republicans suck, but Democrats are simply not an option.

        • Ing there is something we could do but that would require making the sort of stand that could result in bloodshed. It is a matter of how string our resolve is. I am talking a Bundy Ranch esk stand off. Dont fire unless fired upon and make them either back down or fire the first shots of the next civil war. If i was in the States I would gladly make that stand with you all.

        • “I am talking a Bundy Ranch esk stand off. ”

          You are thinking about Bundy 1. Even though shots were fired in Bundy 2, there was no uprising.

    • They introduce it after the Democrats get control of the Congress so they can claim they tried to do something but those darn commies stopped America from being free again.

      They had two years yet they shelved pro gun bills, refused to repeal Obama care, wouldn’t fund a wall, etc. Now that the Democrats are back they are being really tough by shutting the government down and introducing pro 2A bills.

      Do you even lift, bro?

  11. We’ll get some kind of 10,000 page bill that redefines all kinds of things and setups up some kind of authority to enforce it instead of a few sentences declaring enforcement of the 2nd Amendment in the territories of the U.S. or at least allowing out of state residents protection from local laws as they travel and/or visit those areas of the U.S.

    Why is it so hard to enforce the existing law? Why do we always need another law to fix something? Why do we have law enforcement if they refuse to enforce the supreme law of the land?

    Trump will put the federal government on hold for a barrier yet nothing so drastic is done for the Bill of Rights.

    • The only thing a congressman really cares about is getting reelected. It has always been, and will always be about total civilian disarmament period, by both parties. They will attack the second amendment until it becomes meaningless and no longer an impediment to their goal. They have no interest in reducing crime. The lives lost are the broken eggs to make an omelet.

  12. Useless Ryan Republicans had two years to pass this and the HPA. The moment has passed and neither act will ever happen now……..

    • Ryan did pass Reciprocity to his credit, but clearly only because he’d been assured the Senate was going nowhere with it.

    • It WAS voted on in the last Congress — the House passed it.

      Cornyn has introduced this bill repeatedly. And there have never been 60 votes to pass it. Just like there aren’t this time. Thanks, Arizona and Alabama… if we had two more R’s, we just might get Manchin too.

      But now there’s no chance it will pass in the House this time.

  13. Two years too late you red-flag supporting clown. Enough is enough. We need to start primarying these career liars who couldn’t be bothered to ONCE bring legislation to benefit our interests when they had the chance. Even if it couldn’t have passed or would have been filibustered. The only explanation is there were never 51 GOP pro-gun votes to start with, and guys like Cornyn have been suppressing these votes in order to run cover for anti-gun party members so they are not exposed.

    Cornyn is a highly senior senator; there’s only a few besides him who could have kept the HPA or Reciprocity bills from coming up for floor votes (obviously Majority Leader makes the official call), and Cornyn has repeatedly squished on gun control in recent years when it came from Republicans.

    Time to retire.

    • Cornyn DID introduce it two years ago.

      Hell, he’s continually introduced it every legislative session since at least 2013. It actually got voted on in 2013, had 57 yes votes (three short of passing).

  14. So the senator that wanted bump stock elimination now introduces a bill that he knows doesn’t stand a chance of passing. Trying to save his job. Never liked this snake.

  15. No leadership at any level, especially not from Trump. For two years he was absent from legislative efforts for gun owners rights. Yes I know there was never a 60 vote majority in the Senate to break filibuster, but where was Trump in trying to get those last three votes?

    No place, that’s where. He completely ignored his campaign promises and did zero. No efforts made at all.

    • Oh, he made an effort all right, just not for the pro-gun side of things. He ordered his DOJ to ban bump stocks (and also semi-autos at some later date) and then endorsed a suite of surprise gun-control betrayals at the hands of Republicans in Florida that are now being pursued at the federal level.

      • But, but… muh 4-D chess…

        I’m still glad we have Trump and not President Felonia Milhouse von Pantsuit, but he is not, never was, and never will be a trustworthy. He doesn’t have principles; only goals.

        • 2016, the worst Presidential Silly Season we’ve ever had. Certainly in the modern era from Theodore Roosevelt onward. The two worst possible candidates became the nominee of their parties. Either way, America would lose and lose badly.

          When the vote was clear I was absolutely delighted, one of them had lost. Also utterly miserable, as one of them had won.

          We need a new Constitutional Amendment. The 28th Amendment will be known as “The Do-Over Amendment”.

        • Just keep in mind, it’s probably only going to get worse going forward. Think about who the democrats will be nominating next. One day the 2016 election will be remembered as the good old days.

        • I am not partisan, have not been in a very long time. Sure, the Democrats will nominate quite badly. I fully expect the Republicans to do the same. I play no favorites in despising these political parties for they both encourage members to think more as Party Citizens than as American Citizens.

      • It is more obvious that the Socialist Democrats have no interest at all for protecting Americans or America but will bust a gut for the illegals, refugees and others. Trump is holding true to his oath of office which is amazing because no other president in recent history has achieved this feat.

      • It is more obvious that the Socialist Democrats have no interest at all for protecting Americans or America but will bust a gut for the illegals, refugees and others. Trump is holding true to his oath of office which is amazing because no other president in recent history has achieved this feat. It is probably to little to late but keep on top of this crap. We elected your butts to work FOR us.

  16. Allowing me to pack heat in any other state that has constitutional carry is not constitutional carry. Us packjng heat in any State, is constitutional carry. No allowing to it. Shall not be infringed, simple enoigh. Even the good guys are word twisting bad guys. They like laws, how about a law that declares any office holder who takes an oath to uphold the Constitution and what it stands for, then goes about dismantling that Constitution faces a firing squad.,,,,, Was it China or Russia that said they would take America without firing a shot.

    • I’m pretty sure that was the Soviet Union — and they’ve almost done it.

      The only thing they got wrong was the assumption that they’d still be around when it happened. We won the economic war, but the commies kicked our ass in the propaganda war.

  17. Time for 2nd Amendment sanctuary states.

    Who’s gonna be first? Imagine the influx of peaceful, hardworking consumers and entrepreneurs you’d get in a state that repealed all gun laws and made enforcement of federal gun law a felony. On top of that, it’d show the grabbers (and, better than that, the fence sitters) that the blood-in-the-streets rhetoric is nothing but hysterics. So which state will be the first?

    That’s right, none of them. Because they don’t represent you. They never have. The politicians and their standing army of cops represent themselves and their paychecks, first and foremost, and they can’t control you if you are armed and organized.

  18. And round and round it goes!
    Ain’t nuttin’ been done about nuttin’ since Barack Hussein Obama II was elected.
    Opposing parties just sit on their ass to obstruct and kick the can down the road so they can continue to collect big bucks.
    Now we have the perfect obstruction storm. Just what both parties want.
    And ya, where was this guy before?
    Now he’s just a whack-A-mole.

  19. Accepting the fact that we all knew the Republicrats would go hard over on 2A once they were no longer capable of getting legislation passed and signed….has anyone looked closely at NR? In order to take advantage, every gun owner would need to know the minimum allowable for carry in every state (and maybe even jurisdiction), all the time. Is that a useful gain? One worth expending political and actual capital?

  20. At the end of the day, it’s no different than what most states already have for reciprocity.
    It does absolutely nothing for all states that are may issue. Complete waste..

    • “It does absolutely nothing for all states that are may issue.”

      Theoretically, NR would permit concealed carry in “may issue” states, because those states do permit concealed carry for some citizens. NR would do nothing in those states that refuse concealed carry for any private citizens. Of course NR could be the catalyst for some states to ban concealed carry for any private citizens after NR becomes law. Might even cause some “may issue” states to become “never issue” states. There is no constitutional right to concealed carry recognized by federal courts, or the SC.

      • SCOTUS has at least made noises about “right to carry”, with the caveat that either open or concealed can be prohibited, but not both, due to the “and BEAR” of 2A. I could even argue about that, except that we can all see coming extreme punishments for accidental and momentary concealment or exposing, “that’ll teach you!” type shit.

        • The 9th short-Circuit is still standing on the claim that the SC has not ruled there is a right to concealed carry. Do you have a ref for the SC saying open or concealed carry can be prohibited, but not both?

    • Sure, but in the last ten years it would never have gotten through the Senate, or in the Obama administration, it would have been vetoed.

  21. We get the government we deserve, we elect it. When the Pelosi’s and the Ocasio-Cortez’ and the Schumers of the world have the ability to dominate the media and often public opinion (thanks MSM) it gets tough for our message to be heard.
    The RINO’s squandered a rare opportunity the past 2 years. I blame Ryan in large part. He allowed the Dems to spank him at will. He was an ineffective leader and they ate his lunch when he should have been kicking ass with a Conservative agenda.
    Now that Nancy is back she will use her gift of manipulation to choke anything she personally dislikes from ever seeing the light of Day.
    Shame on Ryan and company and shame on us for sending these eunuchs to Washington time and again.
    They get rich, we get screwed.

  22. The Bill was passed in the House last year, went to the Senate, had two readings, than died in committee (Cornyn’s committee). He is up for re-election, and knowing it won’t get thru the House, wants to look like a good little 2nd Amendment guy and not a RINO, it’s all in the timing. Texans beware! Draft Allen West for Senator.

  23. We had two fucking years. Now Capt. Save-A-Hoe thinks he can just get score political points.

    Sigh… we had two years… 😕

    • No, we did not had two years! Those that understand how our government works know that we did not had 60 votes in the Senate to pass pro-gun legislation. How did we end up with a government shutdown again?

  24. STOP CALLING THEM ASSAULT Weapons. They are self cocking guns. The name seems to bother Little Di-Di, so call them a more accurate name.

  25. Its a game. When the Repubs know that progun legislation can’t possibly pass; why, all of a sudden, they’re staunch gun guys, by Gawd. And they’re “fighting for you”. Lying, deceitful bastards.

  26. Been saying this since Republicans lost the house. Now that they are out of power, expect them to the “Pro gun and small government” despite that they were anti gun and big government literally 2 months ago.

    • It was introduced in the last Congress! It even passed the House. The Republicans did not control the Senate, otherwise we would not have the current shutdown! Learn how our government works!

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