(Photo: AP)
Hours after a gunman shot multiple people at a GOP baseball practice, a Georgia congressman has suggested a new concealed carry policy specifically for lawmakers.
Rep. Barry Loudermilk, R-Ga., told reporters, “If this had happened in Georgia, [the shooter] wouldn’t have gotten too far. I had a staff member who was in his car, maybe 20 yards behind the shooter… who back in Georgia carries a 9mm in his car. I carry a weapon. He had a clear shot at him. But here, we’re not allowed to carry any weapons here…”
Loudermilk’s proposal would allow congressmen to carry a concealed weapon in Washington, D.C., if they are allowed to carry in their home state. The nation’s capital currently imposes some of the strictest gun control laws in the country and does not recognize concealed carry permits from any other state.
Loudermilk noted that if Majority Whip Rep. Steve Scalise’s security detail had not been present, the shooting could have concluded more disastrously. Scalise was the only lawmaker present at the practice who was assigned a security detail, due to his status as Majority Whip in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Sen. Rand Paul, who was also present at the attack, agreed with Loudermilk’s assessment. Paul told MSNBC, “Everybody probably would have died, except for the fact that the Capitol Hill police were there [in Scalise’s detail.]” He said, “the only reason they were there is because we had a member of leadership on our team.”
“This is exactly why there is a lot of fear of even doing town halls at this point. Some of the things this guy is posting on Facebook — we get the same things, and even worse,” Loudermilk said.
Loudermilk is a long-time champion of the second amendment, having previously sponsored a Georgia bill to lower the age requirement to apply for a concealed carry permit.
SEE ALSO: Second Amendment Foundation: Scalise Shooting Result of Democratic Hate Speech
Rep. Chris Collins (R-NT.) also responded to the attack by telling a New York radio station that he intends to carry a handgun now.
“On a rare occasion, I’d have my gun in the glove box or something, but it’s going to be in my pocket from this day forward.”
The office of Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-NY) released photos of an email they received this morning with the subject line, “One down, 216 to go…” referencing the shooting of Scalise. The body of the email said, “Good riddance.”
Democratic lawmakers have also condemned the attacks, but have yet to respond to Loudermilk’s proposed concealed carry reciprocity policy.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-VT) spoke to the Senate that he was “sickened by this despicable act,” after it was revealed that the shooter formerly volunteered for Sanders’ presidential campaign. “Real change can only come about by nonviolent action,” he said.
Gabrielle Giffords, a former U.S. Representative from Arizona who survived an assassination attempt in 2011, stated on Twitter: “This shooting is an attack on all who serve and on all who participate in our democracy.” She added that she is “thankful for the great courage of the Capitol Police,” two of whom were injured during the attack.
In the wake of the attack, President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence canceled speeches.
Why just for congress is your life more important than ours. Dump ? I know you think so but it is not. We have just as much right to life as you do. Just like everything else congress is in it for them selves and do not care about the America citizens. No unless you get it for the citizen also.
Seems to me Scalise security detail failed its mission! I know they stopped the attacker but why weren’t they watching the perimeter like security is supposed to do? How could they not see a man with a rifle walking up to the field and stop him before he fired the first shot at congressmen? That being said, he proved just what sorry shots liberals are! Fires at least sixty rounds from what I’ve read and only makes one clean hit! When the SHTF they’re all gonna be in real trouble!
Total Bullshit..no special exceptions for Political Tyrants…We all get the same gun rights…no exceptions !!
Take therir exceptional health Care away also and put them in the same standing as the rest of US Citizens.
WE ALSO NEED TERM LIMITS AND A COMPLETE OVERHAUL OF THEIR PRIVELEDGED PENSION
RIP OFF…NEEDS TO BE DOWNGRADED AND THEY MUST PAY INTO SOCIAL SECURITY
Totally agree. Term limits and nationwide CCW reciprocity (including the District of Crooks – i.e. DC, California, and New York) are needed NOW.
. . . as far as I am concerned, my life is way more important than any politician’s life, and by the way, it is my tax dollars that pay their salary! NO Reciprocity for any Politicians until they agree that our lives are every bit as important as theirs! Fuck them – we all get Reciprocity or no one does! The time for Special Privileged People has to end here!
I would go one step further – why not the rest of us you hypocrites!!! Until then, I vote for every congressman to have the LEAST amount of security like the worst state in the country – They should all obey CA laws!!!!! Same for HEALTHCARE – force them into MEDICARE!!
Right on!
I agree with the above statements, every one. Look how bigoted this country is. And no one on their team sees this??? BS!!!! Bull $#!+. If this doesnt persuade people to see what we see, nothing will. There is the double standard, the “we are better than you” , the “we are more important than you”, the “we are worth more than you” all summed up into one single shining example for all who want to see, to see.
Its also funny to me that noone blamed the gun this time, they all placed the blame where it belongs, with the ahole pulling the trigger.
Why is it so different this time?
These people are absolutely disgusting.
To make sure I understand this correctly. The privileged people continue to say they need added privileges. Oh Nero, continue to play you violin while Rome burns.
Daddy always said, don’t have a battle of whits with an unarmed person. Do they not understand what they look like when they open their mouths and this stuff flows out? What a bunch of hypocrites.
I have a solution, everyone in the US must have a government supplied armed guard with them at all times. That would also fix our unemployment problem. So stupid, but so true…………..
All citizens should have firearm carry permit reciprocity. The right should not be limited to only lawmakers.
“…back in Georgia carries a 9mm in his car. I carry a weapon. He had a clear shot at him. But here, we’re not allowed to carry any weapons here…”
How is that not clearly a violation of the second amendment? Being forbidden to carry a weapon is so blatantly obvious a violation of a person’s rights under the second amendment that I don’t understand how the law continues to stand. NONE of the gun laws that require a license or permit or tell you where or how or what you can carry are constitutional. It’s the difference between a right and a privilege. Driving a car is a privilege, you need a license to do it. Carrying a weapon is a right, you don’t need a permit to exercise your rights. All these laws are aimed at making carrying a weapon a privilege instead of a right and that’s just wrong.
Show me in the second amendment where it says “as long as you ask permission and get a permit”.
2nd Amendment: “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.
What part of “shall not be infringed” is so hard to understand?
This is complete BS no matter how you slice it. As usual, a politician working on a carve-out for himself at the expense of those he “represents.” Moreover, the event that “triggered” the “good” Congressman’s remarks occurred in Virginia. Well guess what boys and girls……. Virginia already recognizes CCW permits from ALL of the other 49 states! Virginia AG Mark “Red” Herring inadvertently brought this about in the middle of the night a couple of years ago, but that’s another story.
END special treatment for those in Congress! Self protection is a RIGHT for ALL, not just those stealing their living from the rest of us!
Congress gets exempted from obamacare, why shouldn’t they get a special privilege to carry while the little people have to wait for the police? We’re becoming subjects rather than sovereign citizens.
Why should Congressmen be able to carry and not the rest of us?
Amen!
NO SPECIAL CUTOUTS FOR POLITICIANS, COPS OR ANY SPECIAL GROUP! They can have CCW Reciprocity when the common man and woman get theirs. Their lives are no more important to them then our lives are to US. If they NOW ssee an urgency for reciprocity, CCW or just gun ownership: they are late to the party.
Well said. And while they are at it, Congress should abolish the D.C. City Council’s home-rule authority over gun legislation of any kind.
Stunning, in that he sees the need for allowing concealed carry, but not for everywhere, just for him and his Congressional coworkers. This is the problem, in that some of our Congressmen see themselves separate from the people. He should be championing concealed carry for ALL of us. Senator Mike Bishop gave us the reason why:
“The only reason why any of us walked out of this thing, by the grace of God, one of the folks here had a weapon to fire back and give us a moment to find cover. We were inside the backstop and if we didn’t have that cover by a brave person who stood up and took a shot themselves, we would not have gotten out of there and every one of us would have been hit — every single one of us.”
Yeah. This is the definition of tyranny…