Ted Deutch: “My home State of Florida has some of the absolute worst gun laws in the country. Much like Congress, Florida's…”

“My home State of Florida has some of the absolute worst gun laws in the country. Much like Congress, Florida's Legislature has done nothing to prevent violent criminals from getting guns. According to a report in the south Florida Sun-Sentinel, in just 1 year, Florida granted permits to 1,400 people who pled guilty or no contest to crimes including homicide, assaults, and child molestation. There are Members of this Congress who want to burden the entire country with Florida's shamefully weak gun laws in a race to the bottom for gun permit standards. Even the current reciprocity agreements between States are strained by how easy Florida makes it to get a permit. In 2010, the Philadelphia Daily News found that 2,500 Pennsylvanians applied for gun permits in Florida. Nonresidents apply for Florida permits to take advantage of Florida's shocking failure to protect its own residents from gun violence. This Congress must reject legislation that would force States across the country to abide by Florida's or any other State's weak gun safety standards. Passing this reckless legislation would, unfortunately, make gun violence Florida's most shameful export. ____________________”