Members Introduce Bipartisan House Bill to Combat Gun Trafficking

Reps. Carolyn Maloney (D-New York), Patrick Meehan (R-Pennsylvania), Elijah Cummings (D-Maryland), Peter T. King (R- New York), Mike Fitzpatrick (R-Pennsylvania), Robin Kelly (D-Illinois), Dan Donovan (R- New York), and Tammy Duckworth (D- Illinois) are re-introducing a bipartisan bill in the House of Representatives to make firearms trafficking a federal crime and impose stronger penalties for “straw purchasers” who buy guns for convicted felons and others who are prohibited from buying guns on their own.

The Gun Trafficking Prevention Act of 2015 directly addresses concerns by law enforcement officials who testified before Congress that a dedicated firearms trafficking statute would help them combat the flow of thousands of firearms to violent criminals, international drug cartels, and a host of other dangerous people.

The introduction of this bill comes on the heels of a House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing today on violence at the U.S. Mexico border. In March, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms reported that more than 100,000 guns were recovered in Mexico and submitted for tracing from 2009 to 2014. Of those, 70% originated in the United States.

Yesturday, the Mexican embassy to the United States sent a letter in support of these efforts, highlighting that “Congress can play a very important role” in combating “the flow of illegal firearms by enacting proper legislation.”

“We have made it too hard for law enforcement to stop guns from getting into the hands of criminals and too easy for criminals to get their hands on guns,” said Rep. Maloney. “There should be no ambiguity: gun trafficking and straw purchases are illegal, and cost lives. If you are caught up in these activities, you will be prosecuted and sent to jail. The bipartisan Gun Trafficking Prevention Act would give law enforcement the tools they need to make sure that happens.”

“We must give law enforcement and prosecutors better tools to stop gun trafficking and straw purchasing,” said Rep. Meehan, a former federal prosecutor. “This bipartisan bill protects our constitutional rights while taking necessary actions to help keep guns out of the hands of criminals and help reduce gun violence.”

“Today the Oversight Committee will hold a hearing to discuss violence in Mexico border, which has been exacerbated by a steady flow of firearms from the United States,” said Ranking Member Cummings. “Many of these weapons have been trafficked across state lines with the intent of inflicting harm south of the border. If this bill passes, it will make our communities safer while making a huge dent in the flow of illegal guns to Mexico.”

“I have long supported efforts to crack down on illegal gun trafficking,” said Rep. King. “This legislation will make our citizens safer by giving law enforcement the tools they need to take gun-traffickers off the streets who are funneling firearms to felons, drug cartels and gang members. I am proud to be a part of a bipartisan group of members offering a solution to this problem.”

“The Gun Trafficking Prevention Act is a common sense proposal to keep guns out of the hands of criminals by Act imposing stronger penalties for ‘straw purchasers’ who buy guns for convicted felons or others who would fail a background check,” said Rep. Fitzpatrick. “This bipartisan measure gives law enforcement and prosecutors the tools they need to put those skirting our gun laws behind bars while protecting the rights of law-abiding citizens.”

“Every gun used in a crime was first obtained legally and then found its way into criminals’ hands through unlawful activity such as straw purchases and theft,” said Rep. Kelly. “Improving the background check system is crucial but we must take it a step further by prohibiting gun trafficking. Making gun trafficking a federal crime is a common sense measure that provides law enforcement the tools needed to effectively address our national epidemic of gun violence and gun crime. I’m proud to stand with a bi-partisan group of my fellow lawmakers to take this first positive step to address gun trafficking.”

“I spent most of my career as a prosecutor,” said Rep. Donovan. “Providing law enforcement with the tools they need to combat illegal gun crime is critical to keeping New York the safest big city in America. We can strike a balance in protecting the Second Amendment while keeping guns away from criminals.”

“The Gun Trafficking Prevention Act is the rare bipartisan gun safety bill that all Americans can support, “ said Rep. Duckworth. “I am a proud cosponsor of this common sense proposal that empowers law enforcement to crack down on illegal gun trafficking – and a combat Veteran who grew up in a family of marksmen. This bill simply criminalizes activity that the vast majority of Americans already believe is a Federal crime: using middlemen to buy guns for dangerous criminals. Enough is enough. Too many innocent Illinois residents are killed by guns that fall into the hands of criminals who never should have obtained them in the first place. It's time for Congress to act.”

This legislation was first introduced in 2013 and was cosponsored by 118 Members of the House from both political parties. It also passed as an amendment out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, but was not enacted into law. Specifically, the legislation:

Prohibits Firearms Trafficking: The bill prohibits the purchase or transfer of a firearm if the intent is to deliver it to someone else who is prohibited by Federal or State law from possessing one.

Strengthens Penalties for Straw Purchasers: The bill strengthens penalties to up to 20 years imprisonment for “straw purchasers” who intentionally provide false or misleading material information when they purchase firearms from Federal Firearms Licensees.

Enhances Penalties for Kingpins and Multiple Illegal Purchases: The bill provides enhanced penalties for organizers or managers of firearms trafficking networks and recommends that the Sentencing Commission increase penalties for multiple illegal gun purchases.

Groups supporting the bill include the American Bar Association, Association of Prosecuting Attorneys, Baltimore Police Department, CeaseFirePA, Daniel Webster, Director of Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research, Everytown for Gun Safety, Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators, Inc., Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, Major Cities Chiefs Association, Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association, Minnesota Chiefs of Police Association, National Association of Women Law Enforcement Executives, National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, Stephanie Rawlings Blake, Mayor of Baltimore, MD, United States Conference of Mayors, and the Violence Policy Center.

Firearms Purchases Skyrocket During 2015

Washington, D.C. - September 9, 2015 (The Stuff Gazette) -- The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has released the 2015 Firearms Commerce in the United States Annual Statistical Update. The report provides comparative data from as far back as 1986 for context, analyses of firearms manufacturing trends over the years, and a broad picture of the state of firearms commerce in the United States today.

The data in the 2015 report shows an estimated increase in firearms manufacturing in the U.S. of more than 100 percent within a four-year period. In 2010, more than 5.4 million firearms were manufactured. That number climbed to more than 10.8 million in 2013. The most recent available firearm manufacturing statistics are through calendar year 2013.

Pistols make up the bulk of the firearms manufactured, with 4.4 million produced in 2013. That is an increase of more than one million pistols produced compared to the previous year. The number of rifles manufactured also increased from 3.1 million in 2012 to 3.9 million in 2013.

Updated firearms import and export data is also included in the report. Import data is updated through calendar year 2014. In calendar year 2014 more than 3.6 million firearms were imported into the United States; 2.1 million of those firearms were handguns. In calendar year 2013, the most recent year for which data is available, the U.S. exported more than 393,000 firearms.

The commerce report includes a state-by-state breakdown of the federal firearms licensees and a state-by-state breakdown of the National Firearm Act tax revenue information available through 2014. For a closer look, visit the ATF website at commerce report.

Elementary school student found with weapon in Clayton County (Georgia)

An elementary school student appeared Friday in Clayton County Juvenile Court to answer charges of having a concealed weapon at school.

Clayton County Public Schools Police Chief Clarence Cox said the 9-year-old was found Thursday with a loaded .38 caliber derringer in his bookbag at Pointe South Elementary.

Cox said it is the first such incident of the 2015-16 school year.

Read more...

MURPHY CALLS ON CONGRESS TO ACT “IN ANY WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM” TO REDUCE GUN VIOLENCE

In an interview on CNN’s Newsroom just days after two journalists were fatally shot on live television, Senator Christopher Murphy- (D - CT) called on Congress to act “in any way, shape or form” to reduce gun violence in America. Murphy, who co-authored the Mental Health Reform Act with U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy (R-La.), argued that Congress must fix our nation’s mental health system and implement gun laws that the majority of Americans already support, like universal background checks. This sounds a lot like what Trump was saying after his South Carolina speech during a press conference.

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Stuff in the News: Gas Prices, Fraudulant Tax Returns, Youth Violence, E-cigarettes, Guns

Congresswoman Jackie Walorski, R-Jimtown, along with Congressman Fred Upton, R-St. Joseph, have sent a letter to the chief executive officer of British Petroleum (BP) demanding answers to questions pertaining to the sudden closing of its refinery in Whiting, Ind., which has caused a sharp spike in gas prices throughout the upper Midwest. In their joint letter to Robert Dudley, Upton and Walorski noted: “Some areas of the Midwest have seen prices rise over $1 per gallon over a 24 hour period, disproportionately affecting the most vulnerable of our constituents and resulting in large unpredicted costs in getting goods to market across the region. Additionally, some are worried that speculators may force additional increases due to lack of information. The BP Whiting Refinery in northern Indian shut down the largest of its three crude distillation units on Saturday. Upton, who is chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and Walorski, whose Congressional district includes the refinery, demand answers from Dudley for their constituents by August 21 along with daily updates. They want to know how long the outage is expected to last and how BP will prevent price gouging, among other issues.

On Wednesday, August 26, U.S. Senator Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) will hold a Budget Committee field hearing with Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Commissioner John Koskinen on the IRS' handling of fraudulent tax returns. Ayotte invited Commissioner Koskinen to participate in the hearing in order to hear directly from New Hampshire residents who have been victims of tax-related identity theft or have had other tax-related issues. The US Government Accountability Office (GAO) and Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) have both examined how the IRS deals with fraudulent returns and found billions in revenue lost due to lack of detection. Ayotte has pushed the IRS to improve its policies and better help identity theft victims protect themselves and their personal information, and was instrumental in securing a commitment from Commissioner John Koskinen to provide identity theft victims with copies of fraudulent tax returns. Ayotte also helped introduce the Social Security Identity Defense Act of 2015, which would require the Internal Revenue Service to notify potential victims of identity theft, something the agency has failed to do in the past. It also requires that the IRS notify law enforcement and that the Social Security Administration notify employers who submit fraudulently used Social Security numbers. The bill adds civil penalties and extends jail time for those who fraudulently use an individual's Social Security number.

Following a violent weekend in Philadelphia during which ten shootings occurred, U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) called for an end to the school to prison pipeline and pushed for passage of a bipartisan plan that would allow Pennsylvania cities to invest more in proven crime prevention strategies like youth mentoring. In North Philadelphia, Casey was joined by law enforcement, mentorship groups and a youth advocate who was once a victim of gun violence to discuss the need to aid children before they encounter the criminal justice system and curb youth violence. As major criminal justice reform legislation works its way through Congress this year, Casey’s legislation is backed by Republican Senators and could be included in the overhaul. On any given day in the United States, approximately 60,000 young people are incarcerated, costing taxpayers about $5 billion each year. The Youth PROMISE Act (Youth Prison Reduction through Opportunities, Mentoring, Intervention, Support, and Education) would empower local communities to fund, implement and evaluate evidence-based youth violence prevention and intervention strategies. These prevention practices, such as mentoring and after-school programs, reduce crime more effectively and at a lower cost than incarceration. In fact, a recent study in Pennsylvania found that it saved $5 for every $1 invested in high-quality prevention and intervention programs. The Youth PROMISE Act is supported by over 300 organizations, including the Alliance for Children and Families, the American Correctional Association, the AFT, the Children’s Defense Fund, the ACLU, the Coalition for Juvenile Justice, the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, the NAACP, the NEA, and the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-NM), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Jack Reed (D-RI) and Brian Schatz (D-HI) in calling for clear product standards and good manufacturing processes to combat the health risks of toxic substances in e-cigarettes as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration finalizes its first regulations of the aerosol-producing products. The number of e-cigarette users — especially among young people — has soared in recent years, but little is known about the long-term health risks for users and the risks of breathing in second-hand aerosol. (OH PLEASE!)

Intent on protecting Second Amendment rights, U. S. Senator Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., cosponsored legislation to allow military spouses to purchase handguns in the state where their partner is stationed for duty. Enzi also sent a letter last week with other senators against a plan by the federal government to prevent certain seniors from being able to purchase a gun. Current law restricts a citizen from legally purchasing a handgun in any state other than the one in which they reside. The Protect Our Military Families’ 2nd Amendment Rights Act, led by Senators Mike Rounds and John Thune, both R-S.D., would provide an exception for military spouses to purchases handguns in the state where their spouse is permanently stationed for duty or in a neighboring state if the military spouse commutes across state borders to their duty installation. An exception for active duty service members who are on permanent duty station orders is already made so that they can be considered a resident of the state in which they are assigned. Enzi and Senator John Barrasso, R-Wyo., also joined Senator Mike Crapo, R-Idaho and 24 other senators in signing a letter to express disappointment over the Social Security Administration plan to report certain social security beneficiaries to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). NICS is used by the federal government to prevent gun sales to individuals who are felons, drug addicts, illegal or unlawful immigrants, and others.

Pro God, Pro Guns, Pro Life, Anti-Obama Bumper Sticker

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More Stuff in the News: Coal Miners, Defective Vehicles, Mexican Smugglers, Illegal Immigration, Same-Sex Marriage, Guns

U.S. Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Bob Casey (D-PA) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) have introduced the Miners Protection Act. This legislation would ensure that the federal government and coal operators honor their obligation of lifetime pensions and health benefits to retired miners and their families who are facing uncertainty as a result of the financial crisis and corporate bankruptcies.

Automotive industry executives who cover up or conceal the death and injury risks of defective vehicles or parts could face up five years in prison, under sweeping auto safety legislation filed in the Senate. The measure, sponsored by three leading Democrats on the Senate Commerce Committee, comes in advance of a mark-up the panel will hold next week on a broader Republican transportation bill that includes highway, rail and port related provisions. In addition to the prospect of executives facing jail time, the bill also removes a $35 million cap on civil fines federal regulators could impose on automakers for safety violations, including failing to report dangerous defects.

U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) sent a letter to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner R. Gil Kerlikowske today following the rupture of the International Outfall Interceptor (IOI), a sewage pipeline that transports up to 9.9 million gallons of wastewater from Nogales, Arizona to Sonora, Mexico each day, by smugglers who had dug a hole under a house in Nogales in an attempt to bring drugs across the border. Senator McCain also urged CBP to work with the city to fund the repairs to the IOI, close access to the tunnel, and address serious problems with border security that continue to harm the communities along Arizona’s southern border.

On the current debate on illegal immigration, Senator John McCain - (R - AZ) said: "Arizona has been on the front lines of this serious problem for years. That’s why I partnered with then-President George W. Bush and Republicans and Democrats in Congress a decade ago and then again in 2013 to advance practical solutions to reform our broken immigration system in a humane manner and regain control of our border to protect our nation. In fact, our most recent legislation included provisions requiring investments in border security totaling some $6.5 billion and hiring an additional 20,000 Border Patrol agents." (What good is hiring 20,000 border patrol agents if you are going to tie their hands?)

Following last month’s Supreme Court ruling that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry under the Fourteenth Amendment’s guarantee of equal protection, U.S. Senator Bob Menendez, member of the Senate Finance Committee, has joined democratic colleagues in unveiling legislation to provide equal dignity for all legal marriages in the tax code. The bill, the Equal Dignity for Married Taxpayers Act, removes gender-specific references to marriage, recognizing LGBTQ Americans in the tax code.

The U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee threw bipartisan support behind an amendment sponsored by Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley to help tackle climate change. The amendment enables the U.S. State Department to invest in the global Green Climate Fund. The amendment passed on a bipartisan 16-14 vote and was adopted into the Senate’s State and Foreign Operations appropriations bill.

In response to the announcement by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) that Charleston shooter Dylan Roof should have been prohibited from purchasing the firearm used in the murder of nine men and women last month, U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) have announced that they will call on the Administration to take executive action to keep guns out of the hands of criminals by closing a loophole in the law and putting an end to the “default proceed” rule. Under the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act, the “default proceed” rule currently allows federally licensed firearms dealers who have initiated a background check, but have not been notified by the FBI within three business days whether or not the sale of a firearm to a certain individual would violate law, to sell the firearm.

Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, introduced The Homeless Veterans Services Protection Act with cosponsor Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI), which would prevent thousands of homeless veterans from losing access to housing services. VA’s proposed changes to the decades-old policy for homeless services would bar access for veterans who served less that than two years continuously, or who had an other than honorable discharge. This bill would ensure that those changes can never take place. Last week, Sen. Murray toured the Randall Apartments in Tacoma, a 35-unit complex that serves homeless veterans. She also met with representatives from the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs, local housing authorities, and community groups to discuss her new legislation.

U.S. Senator Rand Paul introduced legislation that would prevent “sanctuary cities” from harboring violent and dangerous criminal aliens, known as the Protecting American Citizens Together Act (PACT Act). The PACT Act would require state and local law enforcement to notify U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) following the arrest of an illegal immigrant and detain an illegal immigrant if requested to do so by ICE. Additionally, if the Bureau of Prisons receives a request from ICE to transfer an illegal immigrant to their custody, that request will take priority over the request from state and local agencies. Under this legislation, localities will be required to follow the new requirements as a condition of receiving federal law enforcement grants.

More Stuff in the news: Guns, North Korea, Energy, Education, Labeling Food

U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) with NYPD Chief of Department James P. O’Neill, Everytown for Gun Safety, New Yorkers Against Gun Violence and Harlem Mothers Save today announced the introduction of bipartisan gun trafficking legislation aimed at cracking down on the daily flow of illegal guns on our nation’s streets. Authored along with Republican Senator Mark Kirk (R-IL), the Hadiya Pendleton and Nyasia Pryear-Yard Gun Trafficking & Crime Prevention Act of 2015 would make gun trafficking a federal crime to provide tools to law enforcement to get illegal guns off the streets, away from criminal networks and street gangs, and to prosecute those who traffic firearms. Just nine weeks ago, New York Police Commissioner Bill Bratton and New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman announced the arrests of multiple members of an illegal gun smuggling ring under “Operation Redrum” which netted 93 guns ranging from 22 caliber pistols to assault weapons over a six-month period. The guns came from out of state and were trafficked through the Bronx. In 2013, 331 weapons recovered in New York State came from Georgia alone. According to NYPD, 90 percent of the guns used in New York City gun crimes come from out of state, including those used in the murders of Detectives Wenjian Liu, Rafael Ramos and Brian Moore. Just this week, gang violence was reportedly responsible for the shooting death of a father holding his one-year-old child. Currently, there is no federal law that defines gun trafficking as a crime.

U.S. Senators Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) and Bob Menendez (R-New Jersey) has introduced the 2015 North Korea Sanctions Act that would strengthen and expand sanctions against the regime in North Korea and those who might wish to assist them. The Senators introduced the bill following repeated violations of commitments by North Korea to end and dismantle its nuclear weapons development program and the perpetual brutal oppression on the vast majority of the North Korean people. Both Senators note that North Korea remains a significant threat to regional and global stability. (What makes Iran so special, then?)

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley made the following statement after the FBI acknowledged that inaccurate information was entered in the background check system and hindered follow-up analysis that should have prevented alleged Charleston shooter Dylann Roof from purchasing a firearm. “It’s disastrous that this bureaucratic mistake prevented existing laws from working and blocking an illegal gun sale. The facts undercut attempts to use the tragedy to enact unnecessary gun laws. The American people, and especially the victims' families, deserve better.”

U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, and U.S. Congressman Raúl M. Grijalva (Ariz.-03), the Ranking Member of the House Natural Resources Committee, unveiled the Tribal Tax Incentive for Renewable Energy Act, a bill the lawmakers will introduce today to allow tribal governments to take advantage of the existing federal renewable energy investment tax credit in the same way any private developer already does.

U.S. Senators Dean Heller (R-NV) and Joe Manchin’s (D-WV) amendment to the Every Child Achieves Act passed the United States Senate. This amendment requires governors of states to be consulted during the development of a state education plan to improve education and workforce readiness. It also includes a 30-day “shot clock” for a state’s governor to approve the plan before it is submitted to the Secretary of Education.

Senator John Hoeven cosponsored bipartisan legislation to protect small businesses from potential health care premium increases under the Affordable Care Act. The Protecting Affordable Coverage for Employees (PACE) Act allows states to maintain the current definition of a small group market as 1-50 employees to prevent premium increases and disruptions for small and mid-size businesses. Hoeven joins prime sponsor Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina on the legislation. Currently, almost all states define their small group market to include employers with 1-50 employees. Under the health care law, the definition of small business will expand to include employers with up to 100 employees starting January 1, 2016. Expanding the small group definition up to 100 could increase premiums for the vast majority of small employers and also prevent mid-size employers from keeping their current plans. According to Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota, the expansion of small group from 50 to 100 will cause both rate and benefit disruption for about 150 North Dakota groups which cover almost 20,000 North Dakotans.

Following a letter from U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced that it will delay new menu labeling requirements at supermarkets, grocery stores, and similar retail locations for one year. In May, Senators Collins and King, along with several of their Senate colleagues, urged the agency in a letter to delay the regulations so that these establishments in Maine and around the country, which often sell food for in-store consumption, would receive adequate time and guidance to comply with the new regulations. In a written response to the senators, the FDA has said that it will delay implementation of the rules until December 1, 2016. The new menu labeling requirements are the result of a provision in the Affordable Care Act that calls for a national, uniform nutrition-disclosure standard for foodservice establishments, primarily intended for restaurants. The FDA first released draft regulations to implement this provision in 2011, however, the agency also unexpectedly incorporated grocery and convenience stores because of the food sold at deli counters, snack bars, salad bars, and other in-store options. The FDA issued its final menu labeling regulations in December of 2014, and businesses originally had until December 2015 to comply with the regulations. Following the FDA’s decision, they will now have until December 2016 to do so. The agency plans to issue a draft guidance document in August 2015 to answer some of the most frequently asked questions surrounding the menu-labeling rule and help stores as they work to comply.

CCRKBA Says SCOTUS Ruling Should Open Door To National CCW Recognition

Bellevue, WA - June 26, 2015 (The Stuff Gazette) -- Following the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that requires all states to recognize same-sex marriages, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms said that the same principle should apply to nationwide state recognition of concealed carry licenses and permits from all other states.

"To paraphrase what Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy said about same-sex marriage," noted CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb, "no right is more profound than the right of self-preservation, and under the Constitution, all citizens should be able to exercise the right of self-defense anywhere in the country. It disparages their ability to do so, and diminishes their personhood to deny the right to bear arms they have in their home states when they are visiting other states."

While many states recognize the concealed carry permits or licenses from other states, this is not universal. In some states, law-abiding citizens have been egregiously prosecuted for conduct that is perfectly legal in their home state. For example, New Jersey has become notorious in recent years for prosecuting honest citizens, the most recent being the unjust treatment of Shaneen Allen, the Pennsylvania single mom who had to be pardoned by Gov. Chris Christie because she crossed a bridge from one state to the other, and was honest about having a firearm when quizzed by a police officer during a traffic stop.

"State drivers' licenses are universally recognized," Gottlieb observed, "and with today's high court ruling, same-sex marriage must now be recognized in all 50 states as well. It not only stands to reason, but common sense demands that the concealed carry licenses held by more than 11 million citizens across the country should now be valid in every state without question.

"We're talking about law-abiding citizens who have gone through background checks, and in many cases, state-mandated training programs," he added. "To continue treating their Second Amendment rights as second-class privileges seems unconscionable after today's ruling."

With more than 650,000 members and supporters nationwide, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms is one of the nation's premier gun rights organizations. As a non-profit organization, the Citizens Committee is dedicated to preserving firearms freedoms through active lobbying of elected officials and facilitating grass-roots organization of gun rights activists in local communities throughout the United States.