Concealed Carry Reciprocity legislation currently under consideration in the U.S. Congress is facing opposition from two large police unions that seemingly want officers to be armed and nobody else.
Apparently unaware that all states have laws that allow carry of concealed handguns for self-defense and 29 even have laws that allow carry with permits, the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) and International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) apparently believe doing away with the current patchwork of state laws would somehow be “dangerous.” The organizations recently sent a letter to Congress asking representatives to oppose HR 38, the “Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act.”
“The National Fraternal Order of Police and the International Association of Chiefs of Police which collectively represent a majority of rank-and-file officers and police executives, have serious reservations about the impact this legislation would have on officer safety, officer liability, qualified immunity, and state and local gun safety laws,” the letter stated. “The inability to confirm whether someone is lawfully carrying a concealed firearm increases the risk of armed encounters and reduces situational awareness for officers in the field. No officer should be placed at greater risk just because they cannot use common practices— which officers in every jurisdiction are trained to do—when encountering an armed suspect.”
The unions also whined that that law would tread on states’ rights, despite the fact that some states ignore the U.S. Constitution.
“Many states already recognize concealed carry permits from jurisdictions with comparable requirements, such as live training and enhanced background checks,” the letter continued. “These agreements respect state sovereignty and public safety without Federal overreach. This legislation would override these tailored arrangements and strip states of their ability to set and enforce their own standards for concealed carry.”
The letter concluded by not recommending revisions that would make the law more palatable to the organizations, but a flat-out request to vote “No.”
For these reasons, the FOP and IACP urge the U.S. House of Representatives reject H.R. 38, the ‘Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act,’ should it come to the floor for a vote, the letter said.
What the unions are failing to mention, of course, is the fact that criminals regularly carry firearms any damn place they want to. Lawful citizens, however, are currently forced to study laws in states they might travel through and often either not take their carry gun along or stow it away when traveling through those states, rendering it useless for self-defense purposes.
Despite the opposition from the police organizations, the legislation is supported by President Donald Trump. At an October 15 FBI news briefing, a reporter brought up the topic, asking the president: “Will there be a further conversation to have national concealed carry applied to our actual D.C. like if you had a driver’s license for Texas and you had a permit, of course you could drive…”
The president replied: “Well as you know, they have been talking about that for a long time. It’s an interesting question. A lot of people feel strongly both ways. We are talking about that.”
Before the 2024 election, President Trump said he would sign a national reciprocity bill if one were to reach his desk. In early November 2024, President Trump addressed the nation with a promise to uphold the right to self-defense.
“I will protect the right of self-defense wherever it is under siege, and I will sign concealed carry reciprocity,” he said. “Your Second Amendment does not end at the state line.”
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