Claudia Tenney: “I thank the gentleman for hosting this great Special Order on a fundamental right. Madam Speaker, our Second Amendment…”

“I thank the gentleman for hosting this great Special Order on a fundamental right. Madam Speaker, our Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms for self-protection is a fundamental right protected by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. However, many States, including my own home State of New York, home to Remington Arms, of all places, unconstitutionally restricts our right to carry concealed outside of our home. In most New York jurisdictions, an applicant must justify their need for such a concealed carry permit. Despite the plain words of the Second Amendment enshrined for centuries in the Bill of Rights, State and local authorities in New York continue to reject applications for law-abiding Americans for entirely arbitrary reasons or for no reason at all. States like California and Massachusetts do exactly the same thing. This arbitrary standard must be rejected. That is why I am leading the amicus brief for an upcoming U.S. Supreme Court, New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Corlett. This case will decide if New York's burdensome concealed carry law violates the Second Amendment. A little background on the case: In 2016, Rensselaer County, New York, officials denied the concealed carry permit of Robert Nash for the purpose of self-defense. Later, in 2018, they also denied the concealed carry application of Brandon Koch for the same reason. Both these individuals are honorable, upstanding, and law-abiding citizens.…”