WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), co-author of the bipartisan Fix NICS Act, released a statement on Wednesday after the U.S. House of Representatives voted to pass a deeply misguided bill that combines the Fix NICS Act – a widely supported bill to strengthen enforcement of our federal background check system – with the partisan Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act. The Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act would allow any individual permitted to carry a concealed handgun in their own state – including individuals with criminal records and those who have not passed background checks – to carry the weapon in any other state. Although many states currently require concealed carry applicants to pass a background check or undergo extensive gun-safety training, 12 states allow residents to carry concealed handguns without a background check, a permit or any training.  

“A national concealed weapons law is a terrible, dangerous idea. This bill passed today in the House would allow a criminal who bought a gun without a background check in Florida to carry that gun, concealed under his clothing, into Times Square. That's why law enforcement officials all over the country hate this bill. By combining the national concealed weapons bill with the Fix NICS Act, the House is jeopardizing the chances of actually passing bipartisan, comprehensive reform of our broken background checks system. Senator Cornyn and I disagree on almost everything about guns, but we came together to write the Fix NICS Act because ensuring our background checks work is just common sense. I urge leaders in Congress to dump the national concealed weapons bill and work together to keep deadly weapons away from people we all already agree shouldn’t have them.” 

###