of every other state? because any permit would suffice this bill would create a race to the bottom. with whatever state is the most permissive rules setting policy. you wouldn't even have to be a resident in some states. this lowest common denominator approach would only lead to more people carrying hidden weapons packing heat on your street. knowing there are more concealed handguns all around does not make me feel safer. lastly the i want to address the constitutional argument. in heller the supreme court held there's a second amendment right for persons to bear arms. nowhere did the court say, however, that there was an unlimited national right to carry a concealed handgun. in fact, justice scalia recognized the legality of reasonable limits on the second amendment. i can't imagine a more reasonable restriction for states to impose than those which govern who can carry a concealed firearm in their own states. i ask that members reject this deeply flawed and dangerous bill and i yield back the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from texas. mr. smith: madam chairwoman, i now yield three minutes to the

gentleman from arizona, mr. franks, who is the chairman of the constitution subcommittee. the chair: the gentleman from arizona is recognized for three minutes. mr. franks: i thank the chairman and, madam chair, h.r. 822 initially introduced by mr. stearns of florida and mr. shuler of north carolina and supported by more than half of my colleagues in the house of representatives would allow people with a valid permit or license to carry a concealed handgun in any other state that permits concealed carry. this is a policy akin to allowing licensed drivers from one state to drive their car in another state so long as they obey the local laws. madam chair, clearly the constitutional right to defend oneself from one's family shouldn't be limited to when you

are at home. criminal have always preferred unarmed victims. conversely, law-abiding citizens cameble of defending themselves and their fellow citizens safe innocent lives. to give one of countless examples, in 2007, a man in colorado wrote online, quote, all i want to do is kill and injury as many christians as i can, closed quote. he then went on a shooting rampage, first killing two young students at a missionary training center outside denver and then at a gathering of over 7,000 people in and around a church, with a rifle and a backpack full of ammunition, murray entered the church and opened fire, killing two sisters. murray was ultimately stopped and killed by a church member and a voluntary security guard who once worked in law enforcement and who had a concealed carry permit. apart from this armed hero's actions, madam speaker, many more innocent citizens would have died that day. h.r. 822 includes a number of provisions intended to retain the states' ability to regulate firearms use in their own states

and increase public safety. nothing in the bill effects a state's ability to set the eligibility requirements for its own residents, nor does it effect any state laws or regulations regarding how, when or whether where concealed firearms can be carried. it also requires people who want to take advantage of the federal grant of reciprocity to be properly permitted or licensed by a state to carry a concealed weapon. and to be able to produce both the permit or license at a government-issued identification document. to reiterate chairman smith's comments, studies have shown that concealed carry laws are very good public policy for our country, madam chair. the n.r.a. has estimated based on f.b.i. crime report data that right-to-carry laws which widely allow concealed carry have 22% lower violent crime rates, 30% lower murder rates and 46% lower robbery rates than states that prohibit or greatly restrict concealed carry.

h.r. 822 will help further this trend. i ask my colleagues to help support this bill and yield back the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman from michigan. 2k -- mr. conyers: i yield to my colleague for one minute. the chair: the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> i thank the gentleman. mr. chairman, for all the talk of states' rights, h.r. 822 obliterates the states to pass their own gun rules and protect their citizens. in the state of florida, we require those who seek such concealed permits to prove basic competency, to protect those who were convicted of a felony. h.r. 822 denies floridians the right to protect their own

families and set their own standards. mr. deutch: if florida would want laws as laxed as those in utah, they would adopt their own. i think that they have you had have a dabe. -- database. with a database opened 24 hours a day with people holding concealed-carry permits, florida would be able to protect their citizens. mr. smith: i yield three minutes to mr. stearns who is the writer, author, creator of this legislation. make that five minutes. the chair: the gentleman from florida is recognized for five minutes. mr. stearns: i'd say to my colleague i'm from florida. and so i'm supporting this bill. in fact, i'm the proud sponsor

of this bill, ladies and gentlemen. i have sponsored this legislation since the 105th congress. that was almost 14 years ago. because i believe it's long overdue that we take action to enhance the fundamental right of self-defense for all law-abiding citizens of this country. i want to thank mr. trent franks of arizona who for his hard work in pushing this through the subcommittee and full committee and chairman lamar smith for his leadership too. my colleagues, the simple right to defend your loved ones from criminals is fundamental. and it's not extinguished when you simply cross a state border. this bill recognizes this important fact by establishing the interstate recognition of concealed-carry permits in much the same way drivers' license are recognized. now, under this legislation,

lawfully issued permits will be recognized in all states that also issue carry permits. there are now 49 states that issue these permits. most of these states also recognize permits issued from at least some other states. while some states recognize all valid permits issued by any state. but herein simply lies the problem. the nonuniformity of the laws regarding reciprocity makes it difficult for law-abiding permit holders to know for sure if they are obeying the law as they travel from state to state. while preserving the power of the states to set the rules on where concealed firearms can be carried, this bill will establish recognition in the 49 permit-issuing states. so this legislation will simply make it easier for law-abiding permit holders to know that they are simply in compliance

with the law when they carry a firearm as they travel this wonderful country. drivers would have to stop at the state line to determine whether their license was valid before proceeding. each state would recognize some licenses but of course not all of them. some states would insist that others had precisely the same requirements for issues of a license before operating reciprocity. and the status of such reciprocity would be constantly changing literally day-to-day. so that is the reality of the current reciprocity agreements anding on the congress can remedy this -- and only the congress can remedy this interstate muddle. we are proud to be citizens of a nation who need not present papers to cross internal boundaries. but the holders of carry permits must indeed today worry

whether their permits are valid before they can safely venture out of their home state while exercising a fundamental right. our system of federalism beckons this body to remedy this disparity and due process an equal treatment under the law. so, mr. chairman, over the past 27 years, 17 states have passed right-to-carry laws and each of these states opponents of firearm ownership have made dire protections of mayhem in the streets if we simply dare to allow law-abiding citizens to carry a firearm for their own self-defense. but in each case these predictions were proven to be completely false. in fact, during that period violent crime has dropped 51% to a 46-year low. 1991 to 2011, and these are according to the f.b.i. uniform

crime reports. statistics don't lie in this case. they're actually showing violent crime has dropped, and this is one of the reasons. mr. chairman, this legislation will not strip states of the ability to prohibit dangerous persons from carrying a firearm. federal law already prohibits a convicted felon or someone shown to be a danger from the mere possession of a gun and the carry regulations set up in each state will apply to all permitholders, both residents and nonresidents. this bill does not set up a federal carry permit system or establish any federal regulations of concealed-carry permits. that power remains with the states. additionally, this legislation does not include any new federal gun laws nor does it call for additional federal regulation of gun ownership. in fact, it does not allow for

new federal regulation for it amends the part of the gun control act that allows only such regulation as are necessary. additional one minute. mr. smith: mr. chairman, i'd like to yield the gentleman an additional one minute. the chair: the gentleman is recognized. mr. stearns: it amends the part of the gun control act that allows only such regulation as are necessary, and in this case none, my colleagues. this legislation simply guarantees citizens constitutional rights as a firm by two supreme court cases, d.c. vs. heller and mcdonald vs. chicago which simply ruled the second amendment is an individual right. this bill will allow law-abiding citizens who already have valid carry permits to carry firearms when they travel to protect themselves and to protect their families. these people who have proven themselves to be among the most responsible and safe members of our communities and we should

not deprive them of this fundamental right when they simply cross a state border. so i urge my colleagues to support this important legislation. it's a long time in coming. i'm pleased it's on the floor and i look forward to its passage. thank you, mr. chairman. the chair: the gentleman from michigan. mr. conyers: i yield myself 30 seconds. the chair: the gentleman is recognized. mr. conyers: i just want to say to my friend from florida, cliff stearns, you can't compare licensing, concealed-carry permits to drivers' licenses, and that's why this idea of yours, with all due respect, has never been passed by the congress before. the reason is that no state have the same way to automatically check a drivers' license for concealed-carry.

i yield myself 15 additional seconds. you cannot compare carrying concealed weapons check with a driver's license because they are checkable. a concealed-carry weapon, there are states that odon't even permit the information to be revealed from their database. so you're making a huge error that i hope can be corrected. and with that, mr. speaker, i'd yield to the distinguished the gentlelady from california -- to the distinguished gentlelady from california, a member of the judiciary committee, one minute. the chair: the gentlelady is recognized for one minute. ms. chu: this issue could endanger people's lives. it hurts my home state of california which develops laws to protect citizens by developing criteria on those who could carry concealed-carry weapons. with this bill that all goes

away. this bill is so bad that it even allows drug dealers convicted of selling drugs to minors to carry a concealed weapon. california would not allow it because such permits can only go to those of good moral character. but under this law we would have to accept the concealed weapon permit for every other state that allows weapons to these drug dealers. i offered an amendment in judiciary committee to stop this, but those on the other side of the aisle voted it down. with this bill, a person who endangers the lives of our children will be allowed to carry a concealed loaded gun nationwide and you would be powerless to stop it. it is the individual states that are in the best position to determine how to best protect its citizens. i strongly urge my colleagues to vote no on this dangerous bill. mr. smith: i'd like to yield 15 seconds to the gentleman from arizona, mr. franks. the chair: the gentleman is

recognized for 15 seconds. mr. franks: mr. chairman, i'd suggest to my friend, mr. conyers, that he's correct. one cannot compare this with -- strictly with people and driver's licenses. the fact is driver's license -- driving a car is not a fundamental right to defense as enshrined in our constitution. secondly, cars kill many more people than guns. and third, we don't usually defend ourselves with cars. the chair: the gentleman from texas. mr. smith: mr. chairman, i yield one minute to the gentleman from ohio, mr. austria. the chair: the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. austria: thank you, mr. chairman. as a former chairman in the ohio senate -- of the ohio senate judiciary committee, i helped lead the fight to pass the first concealed-carry law. even with this law and this right and one of thousands of ohioans with a concealed-carry permit, i understand the need to reinforce our second amendment rights by resolving the confusion and the problems

that exist when traveling between states. the national right-to-carry reciprocity act does just that, it allows ohioans and those with valid c.c.w. permits issued by their home states to go to 49 states where it is not prohibited. this bill has constituents to comply with their home state rules. the bill simply strengthens and protects our constituents' second amendment rights and that's why i've co-sponsored this legislation and look forward to its passage. thank you and i yield back the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman from michigan. mr. conyers: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield myself just 30 seconds, to mr. scott. when we decide how we're going

to cast our vote on this bill to realize you cannot compare a concealed weapon carry permit with a driver's license. but the states do not have the ability, they do not have the automated machinery to do that. many will not even release this information. it's considered a private matter. concealed-carry permit information cannot be revealed in many states, and i now turn to the former chairman of the subcommittee on crime, the distinguished member of the judiciary committee, bobby scott of virginia, for three minutes. the chair: the gentleman is recognized for three minutes. mr. scott: thank you, mr. chairman. i thank you -- thank the gentleman for yielding. mr. chairman, h.r. 822 will harm public safety. that's why law enforcement

organizations, such as the international association of chiefs of police, major cities' chiefs association and many other law enforcement organizations oppose this bill. this bill would allow people to use their concealed weapons permit in any state in the union without regard to the standards and requirements of those other states. this bill even allows people who are ineligible to get a concealed weapons permit in their home state to go out of state and get a permit and use that permit anywhere in the country except their home state. . some sits have minimum standards for those who may be eligible to carry a concealed weapon. for example, some states require firearms training. others deny permits to those who are under 21 or those with certain convictions for assaulting police officers, selling drugs to kids, sex offenses against children, or domestic violence. standards such as these would be

overridden by this bill because permits from states without these standards would have to be recognized. many states already recognize concealed weapons permits from other states. my own state of virginia recognizes many states' concealed weapons permit, but it requires a 24-hour verification. for this reason many states do not enjoy reciprocity with virginia because 24-hour verification is not available. in fact, one state, colorado, didn't even maintain a data base, a statewide data base, so there could be no out-of-state verification. as it's been indicated a driver's license any time of day you can verify the validity of a driver's license. but the concealed weapons permit many states do not have 24-hour verification. an overriding the ability of states to control the carrying of concealed weapons by nonresidents, this bill would create a situation where the

weakest state laws essentially become the national law. we'll be creating a race to the bottom in public safety. in consideration of this legislation has been a challenge because apparently many people in this body believe that if more people carried guns the crime rate would go down. reliable studies, however, point out that the possession of a firearm is much more likely to result in the death of a family member or neighbor than being used to thwart a crime. this bill will undermine public safety. we should let the states decide whether or not or under what conditions to allow people who are in their state to carry concealed handguns. i urge my colleagues, therefore, to vote against this legislation. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas. mr. smith: i yield one minute to the gentleman from indiana. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman the chair: the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> rights do not come from the

government. we are in the words of the declaration of independence endowed by our creator with certain unalienable rights. mr. stutzman the right to self-defense goes deep and cannot be taken away. the right to self-defense is a cornerstone for the second amendment. it is also the foundation for concealed carry laws across this country. i'm proud that my home state of indiana has established a responsible process for obtaining a lifetime permit. today, 49 states have some sort of right to carry law. mr. speaker, this bill ensures that permit holders in indiana like myself can exercise our right to self-defense when our families travel across our great country. if you follow the law, your permit from one state will be honored by another. thank you, mr. speaker. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from michigan. mr. conyers: mr. speaker, i yield myself 15 seconds, please. ladies and gentlemen, forgive my passion on the discussion of

this subject. but almost 300 young people of african-american descent are injured or killed by gunfire from ages 15 to 24 every week. with that i would yield to my colleague, mike quigley, distinguished member of judiciary, from illinois, two minutes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for two minutes. mr. quigley: thank you, mr. chairman. i rise in opposition to this measure. i, too, offered an amendment which failed in committee. my amendment would have prevented individuals convicted of assaulting a police officer or impersonating a police officer from carrying concealed loaded guns. several states that allow permits also denied them to those who have assaulted or impersonated cops. the law enforcement officials of these states have decided that that is what's best for their communities.

this bill wipes those protections away and will go further. may i remind my friends here who are citing the constitution as their nexus for this law, that the right to keep and bear arms in the interest of self-defense of a person at home is not unlimited. as the justices wrote in the district of columbia vs. heller, quote, the right is not a right to keep and carry any weapon whatsoever in any manner whatsoever for whatever purpose, end quote. frankly that's what the national right to carry reciprocity act purports. so for interpreting the 14th amendment, deeming the bill of rights applicable to the states in this manner as to the right to bear arms, then doesn't that argument also dictate each state interpret other states' desessions on other laws and statutes in the same manner? does this mean the states should acknowledge apportion rights from one state to the next? does this mean that states should acknowledge alcohol laws from one state to the next? does this mean that states should acknowledge marriage licenses from one state to the

next? particularly when it comes to same-sex marriage? i have a feeling that many of my friends here today would answer those questions with a simple no. you see my trouble with today's premise then. i urge my colleagues to oppose this bill. i yield back. the chair: the gentleman from texas. mr. smith: i yield one minute to the gentlewoman from north carolina, mrs. ellmers. the chair: the gentlewoman is recognized for one minute. mrs. ellmers: thank you. i rise today in favor of h.r. 22, the right to bear arms is a stable of our constitution as a basic american right. and we should continue to protect it while making sure our laws remain efficient. i am one of 268,000 permit holders in north carolina. this is not only a right issue, more importantly it is a safety issue. as millions of american families can attest, there is no greater threat to our families than the ability to protect.

we must protect our families and it cannot stop at states' borders. h.r. 822 also does not impact state laws governing how concealed firearms are possessed or carried. again it does not jeopardize the states' rights. i call on my colleagues to support this important piece of legislation and i yield back the balance of my time. thank you. mr. conyers: i yield myself 15 seconds. there are, my colleagues, over 65 million handguns in the united states. and in each year nearly 100,000 people in america every year are shot or killed with a firearm. i now yield to our distinguished judiciary colleague, a former magistrate from georgia, hank

johnson, two minutes. the chair: the gentleman is recognized for two minutes. mr. johnson: thank you, mr. chairman. mr. speaker, i rise today in opposition to this dangerous bill, the national right to carry reciprocity act. the 10th amendment of the bill of rights of the united states constitution provides as follows. the powers not delegated to the united states by the constitution nor prohibited by it to the states are reserved to the states respectively. or to the people. mr. speaker, this bill would override the laws of almost every state by forcing them to accept concealed carry gun permits from every other state even if the permit holder would not be allowed to carry a handgun in the state where he or

she is traveling. this is ridiculous. each state should decide who may carry a concealed loaded gun within their borders. and the federal government should respect the state's rights to do so. the irony here is that the -- my friends on the tea party republican side of the aisle claim to respect state's rights. but then they rush this legislation to the house floor which tramples over state's rights. these tea party republicans claim they want to create jobs for the millions of unemployed americans in our nation, but they are not focusing on creating jobs. instead, they are bowing down to the national rifle association by moving this piece of special

interest legislation forward. i urge my colleagues to oppose this dangerous bill and thank you. i yield back the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman from texas. mr. smith: i yield a minute to the gentleman from minnesota, mr. klein, who is also -- mr. kline, who is also the chairman of the education and work force committee. the chair: the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. kline: i thank the gentleman for yielding. mr. chairman, i rise today in strong, strong support of h.r. 822, the national right to carry reciprocity act. this bill provides important protections for gun owners and it's time -- its time is past due. as a retired marine and avid outdoorsman, i'm an experienced firearms owner and user. i hold a conceal carry pr mitt in the state of minnesota and i believe individuals have the right to keep and bear arms for the protection of their home, property, family, and person. they have that right. unfortunately, there have been a lot of miscarkizations surrounding this legislation. i have heard a lot of it today. to be clear this bill does not create a federal licensing of

registration system. it does not create federal standards or infringe on the ability of states to make laws for a carry permit. it does not negatively affect states that have permitless carry systems. mr. chairman, this bill will protect law-abiding gun owners from current confusion caused by the wide array of state laws and preempt the threat of frivolous lawsuits very could face simply by traveling outside their home state. national right to carry reciprocity provides critical recognition that the second amendment rights of our constituents do not end when they cross state lines and this will enhance public safety. i urge my colleagues to stand for the second amendment, to stand for the rights of responsible gun owners who engage in gun safety, and i urge them to support h.r. 822. i yield back. the chair: the gentleman from michigan. mr. conyers: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield to our dear friend, jim moran, of virginia, 1 1/2 minutes. the chair: the gentleman is recognized for 1 1/2 minutes. mr. moran: mr. speaker, the

first reason this bill should be defeated is that it usurps state authority and replaces it with a lowest common denominator federal directive. this is a radical piece of legislation. in fact, today 43 states are not in compliance with this law. 38 states today prevent people from carrying concealed weapons if they have certain dangerous misdemeanor criminal convictions. 35 states require the completion of a gun -- short gun safety program. the commonwealth of virginia has weakened its gun laws over the past two years allowing concealed guns in bars and renewal of permits by mail. i disagree with these actions, but i would never question the general assembly's authority to make these decisions. but this bill makes our state legislature's judgment irrelevant. this is a federal power grab. coming from a majority that claims to be a defender of states' rights. the second reason that this bill

should be defeated is that our law enforcement professionals oppose it. the international association of chiefs of police, the major cities police chief association, the virginia association of chiefs of police all oppose this bill. why? because they know that it will be nearly impossible for police to verify the validity of 49 different carry permits placing officers in potentially life threatening situations. some states don't even keep verifiable data bases of those who have been issued concealed carry permits. law enforcement is trying to curb illegal gun smuggling, but this bill allows traffickers with concealed carry permits to transport firearms and present an unverifiable permit if stopped by police. this is a blatant lemming overreach presumably because it was next on the n.r.a.'s legislative wish list. we should defeat this bill, mr. speaker. the chair: the gentleman from texas. mr. smith: the gentleman from arkansas, mr. ross. the chair: the gentleman from

arkansas is recognized for one minute. mr. ross: thank you, mr. chairman. i rise today in strong support of h.r. 822. if you get a driver's license in arkansas, it's recognized in every state in the country. and if you have a conceal carry permit, the same rules should apply. our second amount rights to own and bear arms are universal, and our laws should reflect that as best they can. the national right to carry reciprocity act would allow every american citizen with a valid concealed carry permit to carry a concealed firearm in all states that allow them for lawful purposes. let me be clear, if your state bans concealed firearms, then this law will not affect that ban. this bill does not change any state laws about when and where you can carry a concealed firearm. this bill does not create a new federal licensing system.

it simply reinforces our second amendment rights and makes the laws more fair for law-abiding gun owners. as a strong supporter of the second amendment, i believe we must pass the national right to carry reciprocity act now and i urge my colleagues to join me in voting for the bill. the chair: the gentleman from michigan. mr. conyers: i yield to the distinguished gentleman from new jersey, bill pascrell, 1 1/2 minutes. the chair: the gentleman is recognized for 1 1/2 minutes. . >> thank you, mr. speaker. the ranking member, mr. chairman. i had to make a choice on this bill. mr. pascrell: where whether i would support a disputable constitutional issue about whether you can by law carry a concealed weapon or move towards the other side to those

who oppose this. now, who opposes this legislation? besides me? mayors against illegal guns, the international association of chiefs of police, the major cities chiefs association, and the police foundation oppose this bill. doesn't this mean anything to you at all? doesn't it? or does it? i'll prefer -- i prefer community policing than try to put more guns into the hands of those people who we don't even know who are going to be trained to even use them. that's my preference. this means my home state of new jersey -- this is not idaho, this is not montana. we're -- in fact, we have the most vastly populated state in the union. there is a different culture. when clinton argued on behalf of gun possession when he was the president of the united

states, he always made this point about the cultural differences in different parts of the country. we respect that. i'm not against the second amendment. i support the second amendment. but i don't want those folks in the street who are outarmed -- outarm and outgun our police officers. 12,000 police officers we have in this country. thank you. the chair: the gentleman is recognized. mr. pascrell: thank you. 12,000 less police officers in our streets. we should be worried about that as a priority rather than this as a priority. so i made the decision. the evidence is like this against doing this. we haven't had any legislation which took away one gun in the past 20 years from anybody in this country. not one. so we have made the perception being that we want to take guns away from people.

how dare you even say, protect our police, don't vote for this? mr. smith: i yield one minute to the gentleman from illinois, mr. kinsinger. the chair: the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. kinzinger: the right to bear arms is simple. when the guns are heard, it is thought it is criminals. this bill is about the right of law-abiding citizens to bear arms. illinois we have concealed-carry. there are people killed in chicago very often by guns that are already concealed. but not concealed by law-abiding citizens. illinois' the only state that doesn't allow a form of it legally. i want h.r. 8 2 to be a clear sign to the governor of illinois that now is the time to join the rest of the country in allowing citizens the right to conceal a firearm on their

person. we hear so much of the -- if we allow people to carry guns, more people are going to be killed, but that flies in the face of statistics. after 2008, there was a record number of guns purchased, but we saw crime drop almost everywhere. bar none. my point is that in the law-abiding citizens in this country are not the problem. illinois needs to join the rest of the country in supporting concealed-carry for its citizens and i believe this is a sign that it's time to do so now and i yield back. the chair: the gentleman from michigan. mr. conyers: mr. speaker, i'm pleased to yield to the distinguished gentlelady from florida, debbie wasserman schultz, a former member of the judiciary committee, two minutes. the chair: the gentleman is recognized for two minutes. ms. wasserman schultz: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise in opposition to h.r. 822, the national right to carry reciprocity act. this ill conceived bill is yet

another distraction from what should be the most pressing concern of this congress, putting americans back to work. what's more disturbing is that this bill jeopardizes public safety by mandating that states honor even the most laxed concealed weapons laws of other states. the gentleman from illinois is incorrect. this is about criminals. from my constituents in south florida, gun control is a serious issue. miami-dade county has one of the highest rates of gun violence in the country. and in the entire state of florida, there are 8,000 permits for concealed firearms. florida's process for issuing license is problematic enough and i would certainly not suggest foisting it on any other state that has stronger safeguards to protect its citizens. but this bill will do exactly that. for states that require age minute mums or safety training before getting a concealed weapon permit or prohibits certain violent offenders from getting a license in the first place, this goes out the window if this bill is passed into law. what we get is the worst of the

worst, the lowest common denominator. for example, in just one six-month period in 2006, florida gave concealed license to more than 1,400 individuals who pleaded guilty or no contest to felonies. 216 of them had outstanding warrants. 128 of them had active domestic violence injunctions. under this bill other states will be mandated to honor these permits. they'll be mandated to allow florida self-admitted felons to carry concealed weapons in their states. this is why the law enforcement organizations strongly oppose this bill. it's opposed by more than 600 members of the bipartisan mayors against illegal guns, including many of my local mayors of both parties in south florida. why would this bill be a higher ply or the than creating jobs -- priority than creating jobs? the house majority still has no jobs agenda. regardless of how americans feel about guns, the overwhelming majority would agree that gun policy is not a higher priority than job

creation is right now. i urge my colleagues to vote no on this bill and i urge my friends across the aisle to stop putting american lives at risk and start putting them back to work. thank you. i yield back the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman from texas. mr. smith: mr. chairman, i yield one minute to mr. coble, who is also the chairman of the court subcommittee of the judiciary committee. the chair: the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. coble: i thank you, mr. chairman. mr. chairman, i rise in support of h.r. 822, concealed-carry permits may be the most scrutinized permits for gun owners to receive. unfortunately, the manner in which these permits are recognized by various states is confusing and inconsistent. h.r. 822 will help resolve this dilemma, mr. chairman. for example, in my home state of north carolina, concealed-carry permits from south carolina and georgia are recognized, but not permits from new mexico. meanwhile, new mexico readily recognizes concealed-carry permits from north carolina. if enacted there would be no discrepancy over which permits are valid.

another reason for supporting h.r. 822 is that it protects states' sovereignty. states are not required to issue concealed-carry permits and state laws regarding the use of ownership of firearms are explicitly preserved. i firmly believe that the second amendment -- individuals to own a firearm, mr. chairman. i also believe that ownership and use of a firearm carries a special level of personal responsibility. this bill promotes both of these ideas and if enacted it will help make america safer which probably explains why this bill has 245 co-sponsors. i thank the chairman and yield back. the chair: the gentleman from michigan. mr. conyers: mr. speaker, i am pleased to yield to the distinguished gentleman from new jersey, rush holt, two minutes. the chair: the gentleman is recognized for two minutes. mr. holt: i thank the gentleman. mr. speaker, this is another great example of legislation in search of a problem.

driven by ideological fervor of its sponsors rather than by any practical approach to safety, h.r. 822 would amend existing federal law to establish a national standard for carrying concealed firearms. as the sponsors well know, these matters have long been the province of the states. it's fascinating how quickly the majority ignores the 10th amendment when the gun lobbying comes calling. why needlessly create a conflict or should i say a shootout between the second and the 10th amendment? passage of the law enforcement officers safety act of 2004, which i voted for and which permits qualified law enforcement officers to carry concealed firearms across states, makes this essentially redundant and unnecessary. the bill before us would have the effect of overriding new jersey's own laws in this area which police officers and hunters and other citizens tell me works well and keeps our citizens safe.

ask our law enforcement officers. they'll tell you new jerseyans live well one our -- within our gun safety laws. we don't need other laxed laws. others have said but maybe it's worth repeating. this body should be focusing on creating jobs, not passing ideologically driven special interest legislation that would endanger public safety, subvert the constitutional order and go against the interests and the declared recommendation of law enforcement officers all across the u.s. i yield back the balance of my time. the chair: the chair would inform the managers, the gentleman from texas has 9 1/4 minutes remaining. the gentleman from michigan has 2 1/2 minutes remaining. the gentleman from texas. mr. smith: i yield one minute to the gentleman from california, mr. lungren. the chair: the gentleman is

recognized for one minute. mr. lungren: thank you very much, mr. chairman. i strongly support the second amendment for that reason i signed on and the heller case and the mcdonald vs. the city of chicago case, upholding the right to bear arms as an individual constitutional right. i believe that. at the same time as the former attorney general of california, i continue to have a deep and abiding commitment to preserving states' rights in the manner which the founders envisioned, the notion of federalism. and under the 10th amendment it is obvious that the constitution alindicates what are known generally as police powers to the states to protect public safety and health. that's why i object to some of our legislation to expand the federal role in tort law and in marriage law because you -- it's not just those things you necessarily agree with, but it's tougher when it's those things you may disagree with

that are left to the states. some people have talked about licenses here. you don't have a right to take your license to practice medicine or law to the next state. we have not required that. we allow states to do that. and here's the other things. my states are one of the most liberal. we have too liberal a law with respect to concealed weapons but the only way the liberal state legislature in california will follow this is by following illinois bus because it's the only way to get a limit, as they see it, on these sorts of things. would the gentleman give me a little more time? mr. conyers: i give you 15 seconds. mr. lungren: people in my state might have to worry about it because it will get rid of all concealed weapons permits because unfortunately under this legislation that's the only thing they can do to police the eligibility of those who get concealed weapons permits. so this does coat both ways. i think we ought to understand that states' rights are a

legitimate argument here on this floor. the chair: the gentleman from texas. mr. smith: mr. speaker, i yield one minute to the gentleman from utah, mr. matheson. the chair: the gentleman from utah is recognized for one minute. mr. matheson: thank you, mr. speaker. i'd like to thank my colleague, mr. stearns, for introducing the bill before us today. i support this bipartisan legislation for two reasons. one, i believe that our gun laws should ensure that a responsible law-abiding individual is able to exercise the second amendment right to carry firearms and, two, this bill simplifies what is now a piecemeal system of reciprocal agreements among the states. there are millions of concealed-carry holders in this nation including those in my state. they can legally carry a weapon for self-defense. by passing this bill we will ensure that when they travel to other states they will exercise their right to self-defense while away from home. this does not ceal a federal licensing system, it does not allow them to carry them to

states like illinois. i think this addresses the criticism of this legislation to determine who can carry conceal weapons within the states' borders. they are required to be aware of and abide by that state's rules. as a strong supporter of sect amendment rights, i support this legislation and urge its adoption. i yield back the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman from texas. mr. smith: mr. chairman, i'll yield one minute to the gentleman from new york, -- the chair: the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> i thank the chairman for yielding. mr. speaker, i rise today in strong support of h.r. 822, the national right-to-carry reciprocity act. this bill is about freedom. it's about the constitution and our bill of rights. this bill is about the second amendment right. as with all of the amendments contained in the bill of rights, these were borne out of our experiences with king george and a desire to prevent such abuses of power in our republic. indeed, at the outset of hostilities during the

revolution, the british army marched unconquered to confiscate our guns and extinguish our freedoms. the founders put the second amendment in the bill of rights to assure our right to keep and bear arms and to safeguard our liberty. mr. gibson: this is a nonpartisan bill, at least in my districts. democrats, republicans hold dear our bill of rights. the premise of the -- the premise of 822 is very simple. if a citizen is permitted to carry a concealed weapon in one state, other states in a have a concealed-carry law will honor and recognize it. supporting and strengthening the second amendment. i urge my colleagues to support it, and i yield back. . the chair: the gentleman from texas. mr. smith: i yield two minutes to the gentleman from virginia, mr. goodlatte. the chair: the gentleman from virginia is recognized for two minutes. mr. goodlatte: i thank the chairman for yielding and for his leadership on this issue. mr. speaker, i rise today in strong support of h.r. 822, the national right to carry

reciprocity act of 2011. this bipartisan bill has 245 co-sponsors and enhances american's right to self-defense by enabling millions of permit holders to exercise their right to self-defense while traveling outside their home states. the second amendment is in the united states constitution and we are all taking an oath in this body to uphold the united states constitution, including rights upped the second amendment. and the 10th amendment is certainly an important right as well, but it does not trump the right or the responsibility of this body to protect rights under the second amendment. 49 states have laws that permit their citizens to carry a concealed firearm in some fashion or another. unlike drivers licenses, however, conceal carry permits in one state are not always authorized to carry their firearms when traveling outside their home state. h.r. 822 remedies this problem by granting concealed carry permit holders reciprocity between states.

the firearm owner must abide by all applicable state laws when carrying in a foreign jurisdiction. this bill affirms the second amendment, that's a second amendment, protects the fundamental individual right to keep and bear arms and that the states cannot unreasonably infringe upon that right. in mcdonald vs. chicago, the supreme court concluded that the due process clause of the 14th amendment incorporates the second amendment right recognized by the supreme court in the district of columbia versus heller. this bill does not create any kind of federal bureaucracy that may concern some people. it simply extends to them their second amendment rights when they travel in other states. h.r. 822 recognizes that right and i urge my colleagues to support this measure. i yield back the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman from texas has 4 1/4 minutes remaining. the gentleman from michigan has 2 1/4 minutes remaining. the gentleman from michigan. mr. conyers: mr. speaker, i

yield the balance of our time to the distinguished gentleman from georgia, mr. rob woodall. the chair: the gentleman is recognized for 2 1/4 minutes. mr. woodall: thank you, mr. chairman. i thank the gentleman for yielding. i love the second amendment. i got my first gun from santa claus when i was years old. first handgun i ever fired, wasn't my dad or my uncle's or grandfather's, it was my mother's. i got my first concealed carry application filled out as a freshman in law school, lived in a bad neighborhood, needed it for self-protection, i have had it for the last 20 years. i love the second amendment. but if the second amendment protects my rights to carry my concealed weapon from state to state to state, i don't need another federal law to say, yeah, i mean it. it's already protected. and if the second amendment doesn't protect my right to

carry a concealed weapon from state to state to state, then the 9th and 10th amendments leave that responsibility to individuals and the states to regulate on their own. i came to congress to protect freedom. i don't believe the second amendment was put in the bill of rights to allow me to shoot targets. i don't believe the second amendment was put in the bill of rights to allow me to hunt for deer and turkey. i think the second amendment was put in the bill of rights so that i could defend my freedom against an overbearing federal government. i don't want the federal government in any issue of the law where the constitution does not require it. and it does not require it here. don't tell me it's an interstate commerce clause issue. we dismissed that on my side of the aisle regularly. don't tell me it's necessary and proper. we dismiss that on our side of the aisle regularly. and don't tell me it's full faith and credit because we

dismiss that on our side of the aisle regularly. the temptation to legislate is great. the temptation is great. i absolutely believe in the intent of this legislation. i want the right to carry from coast to coast, georgia has already orchestrated reciprocity agreements with 25 states. we've got 24 more to go. the second amendment exists. so that we can keep and bear arms to defend ourself against government no matter how well intended. rather than arms, i ask my colleagues to use their voting cards today to defend us. against the overreach of federal government no matter how well intended. i thank the gentleman for yielding. the chair: the gentleman from texas. mr. smith: mr. chairman, i yield one minute to the gentleman from alaska, mr. young. the chair: the gentleman from alaska is recognized for one minute.

mr. young: i thank the gentleman for yielding. i have listened to this debate. this is a reciprocity vote allows me to carry my weapon as i carried for the last 50 years from one state to another as long as i have a permit and they do also. but more than that, i am a little bit resentful when i hear on the floor this is the will of the n.r.a. i'm a lifetime member since i could vote. i am a member today. i participate in their board meetings and i'm proud of that organization. it's probably one of the leading organizations to cast that in the form of they are not the people of america is wrong. the greatest strength the n.r.a. has is its members. talk about how strong they are as a lobbying group. the lobbying group is the citizen. the citizen that wants to carry his arm as permitted across state lands as they do with the driver's license. this is a good piece of

legislation. i'm glad we are having this discussion. there can be differences of opinion, but don't take it away from myself to go from alaska with my permit and go into the other 38 states that have -- i believe 38 or 40 states that have permits and i can't use my permit. that's wrong. let's vet for this legislation. the chair: the gentleman from texas has 3 1/4 minutes reremaining. mr. shoot: i yield one minute to the gentlewoman from florida. the chair: the gentleman is recognized. miss adam -- mrs. adams: as a former law enforcement officer and state representative i have dealt with issues relating to our second amendment rights. it's interesting when i hear some of the flurring between gun purchases and a concealed carry permit. i have done both. and as a law enforcement officer i would like to know if someone would tell me hey i have a conceal carry permit and weapon rather than finding it either by accident or having it pointed at

me. i stand in great support of this piece of legislation. i do believe it is good legislation. it will not harm the people as i have heard here on the floor. and i have heard that we aren't working on jobs. well, i beg to differ that issue because we have passed over 20 bills sitting in the senate that have not been heard that would relate to jobs. so, yes, we are working on jobs and the economy. and we are also working on other issues that are brought to us from our constituents. i stand in great support of 822. thank you. the chair: the gentleman from texas. mr. smith: i yield myself the balance of the time. the chair: the gentleman is recognized for 2 1/4 minutes. mr. smith: h.r. 822 is important legislation that recognizes that americans' ability to exercise their fundamental constitutional right should not disappear at their states' -- state's border. the parade of horribles that have been alleged by some of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle are not true. federal law already prohibits felons, domestic abusers, and

illegal drug users from possessing a firearm. this legislation does not change that. if a person is prohibited from possessing a firearm under federal law, they cannot carry a concealed weapon under this bill. the arguments we have heard so often today against this legislation are against guns in the hands of violent criminals, generally, not against legally permitted concealed weapons. conceal carry laws have shown that concealed weapons actually lower violent crime rates in a jurisdiction. h.r. 822 simply permits law-abiding americans to take their second amendment rights with them when they travel. i urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan piece of >> this morning, energy secretary steven chu will

testify on the loan guarantee to the now bankrupt sloyndra. live coverage at 10:00 a.m. eastern on c-span3. this afternoon, the tea party debt issue will put out its 10- year proposal for balancing the federal budget. >> for those of you who say, my friends, that we are rushing this issue of civil rights, i say to them, we are 172 years late. [applause] for those who say that this civil rights program is an infringement on states' rights, i say that time has arrived in america for the democratic party to get out of the shadows of

states' rights and to walk into the bright sunshine and of human rights. >> hubert humphrey spoke those words 20 years before the 1964 civil-rights bill into law. the two-term mayor of minneapolis was vice-president under lyndon johnson and later ran for president in 1968 and lost. we will look at his influence on american politics this week on the c-span series, "the contenders." >> coming up in a moment, today's news, your e-mails, and phone calls. the house dabbles in this morning for general speeches. they will begin debate on a balanced budget amendment to the constitution. white house coverage on c-span. coming up in 45 minutes, north dakota's senator, john