WASHINGTON D.C. - Under current federal law, land under the control of the National Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFS) has been subject to prohibitions that keep law-abiding citizens from transporting and carrying firearms, regardless of state law.
On Thursday, in a rare two-part vote, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure Act and then subsequently an amendment to the Act that would allow law-abiding citizens to carry firearms in national parks, forests, and refuges in compliance with the law of the state in which the park or refuge is located. The Senate passed the credit card bill earlier this week after Senator Tom Coburn, (R-OK) inserted the gun amendment. Members of the Second Amendment Task Force (SATF) released the following statements regarding today’s vote:
The House passed the gun measure this afternoon by a vote of 279 – 147, and initial reports are that the President is expected to sign the bill into law.
The bipartisan Second Amendment Task Force was created in the 111th Congress to monitor legislation regarding the Second Amendment in the U.S. House of Representatives. It acts as a unified and proactive force to promote legislation that protects the Second Amendment and to fight legislation that poses a threat to citizens’ Constitutional right to keep and bear arms.
SATF Co-chairman Dan Boren (OK-2) – “I am pleased the House cleared Senator Coburn’s amendment reinstating gun owners’ Second Amendment rights on some 170 million acres of federal lands. This complete gun ban, enacted by unelected federal officials in 1936, has remained largely unchallenged until now. In short, the vote today reaffirms a right that no federal official, whether a judge, a bureaucrat, a member of Congress, or even the President, has the right to abridge.”
SATF Co-chairman Paul Broun (GA-10) – “Today’s legislative victory will remove the trap that law-abiding gun owners face as they travel across our nation’s federal lands. Federal parks and wildlife refuges will now mirror state firearm laws. In addition to providing uniformity and clarity, today’s passage of this measure will allow law abiding citizens to protect themselves and their families while enjoying America’s national parks and wildlife refuges.”
“The right to keep and bear arms may be controversial, but it’s also Constitutional. At issue today was whether or not Congress will direct the National Park Service and the Fish and Wildlife Service to let parks and refuges be governed by state laws on firearms possession as is the case with our National Forests and Bureau of Land Management areas. This is simply a common-sense approach that will protect the rights of Americans and provide consistency across our public lands. In the end, the real winners here are law abiding citizens who will no longer be treated like criminals on certain public lands.” – Rep. Rob Bishop (UT-01)
“This legislation is important to maintaining our rights granted by the U.S. Constitution. We must ensure the rights and freedoms of law-abiding citizens are protected throughout our country including on our nation’s federal lands.” – Rep. John Boozman said (AR-03).
“This victory proves that in spite of Republicans being in the minority in both Houses, conservatives can still win on the core issues facing this nation, such as the constitutional right to bear arms,” says House Republican Conference Secretary John Carter. “The Constitution specifically bars the federal government – including the National Park Service – from infringing on this right, and this vote settles the fact that the federal government has been overstepping its authority on this issue. Coupled with the Heller victory last summer in the Supreme Court, we are really seeing substantial progress on reversing a decades-long assault on the Bill of Rights.” – Rep. John Carter (TX-31)
“The Second Amendment is a fundamental American right, and today’s legislation guarantees that law-abiding citizens are able to keep themselves safe in national parks across the country. This bill represents an important step in protecting Americans’ constitutional right to bear arms, and I am proud to support this effort along with my fellow members of the bipartisan Second Amendment Task Force.” – Rep. Travis Childers (MS-01)
“As a strong supporter of the Second Amendment, I am proud that today Congress made progress towards ensuring that federal laws no longer prevent law abiding Americans from carrying guns in national parks and wildlife refuges. If a state decides to allow citizens to carry firearms on park land, federal law should not stand in the way.” – Rep. Jason Altmire (PA-4)
As a strong supporter of the Second Amendment, I applaud today’s bipartisan vote. I am reassured that Americans will shortly be able to fully exercise their constitutional rights.” – Rep. Jim Matheson.
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