Political gunfight
Washington Times, May 9, 2002

Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham, California Republican, is fighting to pass a bill that would allow off-duty and retired police officers to carry their firearms throughout the nation to help stop crime and enhance homeland security.

"This is for law enforcement, for homeland security and for the protection of American citizens," Mr. Cunningham said.

In the Senate, Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick J. Leahy, Vermont Democrat, yesterday introduced an identical measure.

Mr. Cunningham said House Judiciary Committee Chairman F. James Sensenbrenner Jr., Wisconsin Republican, is the "only holdup," as the bill has broad bipartisan support in the House and Senate.

Jeff Lungren, spokesman for Mr. Sensenbrenner, said the chairman, "has a big problem with the bill superseding the gun laws of all 50 states."

He also said if Mr. Sensenbrenner was the "only holdup," the Senate would have passed the bill by now and the president would be campaigning on it.

The measure passed the House once, in 1999, but the Senate has never passed it.

The House bill currently has 255 co-sponsors and the support of more than 80 law enforcement organizations. Mr. Cunningham is circulating a discharge petition to bypass Mr. Sensenbrenner's committee and force House-floor consideration of the measure.