Bill Pascrell: “I rise as the co-chair of the Law Enforcement Caucus in the Congress of the United States. This bill is terrible. The…”

“I rise as the co-chair of the Law Enforcement Caucus in the Congress of the United States. This bill is terrible. The Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act should not be voted on. As a may-issue State, New Jersey allows local law enforcement the discretion on issuing concealed carry permits. In order to receive a permit, applicants must demonstrate an urgent need to carry a concealed weapon and pass a safety course on par with firearms training required of police officers. H.R. 38 would undermine the good regulations New Jersey has in place by forcing New Jersey and other States to recognize the concealed carry standards from every other State, even if their regulations are weak or nonexistent. Allowing States with the weakest concealed carry requirements to set the national standard creates a race to the bottom. Aside from the outrageous fact that House Republicans are pushing a bill to weaken States' rights, this bill makes it harder for local law enforcement to do their jobs. This bill does not establish a process for officers to easily verify that someone is carrying lawfully, because officers would be essentially required to know the permitting standards of every State, a heavy and unnecessary burden, Mr. Speaker.”