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For Immediate Release |
Contact: Ted Deeds |
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LEAA Applauds Senators for Voting 91 to 8 to Allow National Cop Carry May Be Killed By Anti-Gun Amendments Washington, DC LEAA Executive Director and retired police officer Jim Fotis commended the United States Senate for their astonishing and overwhelming bi-partisan 91-8 vote today to allow qualified off duty and retired law enforcement officers to carry their firearms nationwide. This legislation (formerly S. 253) was an amendment to the S. 1805 "The Lawful Protection of Commerce in Arms Act." "Today's vote, with over 90% of the entire Senate voting yes, shows how partisan politics -- even in an election year -- can be put aside to benefit America's men and women of law enforcement," said Jim Fotis who co-authored the original National Concealed Carry for Cops legislation (H.R. 218) with Congressman Randy "Duke" Cunningham (R-CA) nearly ten years ago. Prior to today's vote, S. 253 -- the Senate version of H.R. 218, National Concealed Carry for Cops -- had the support of 67 Senate cosponsors and was passed last April by the Senate Judiciary Committee in a vote of 18 to 1. The House version of this legislation, H.R. 218, also has a bi-partisan supermajority of support, currently with 289 cosponsors. Since LEAA's Executive Director Jim Fotis and Congressman “Duke” Cunningham first worked together to introduce this legislation a decade ago, the bill has come to receive the support of nearly every national organization representing rank and file law enforcement officers. Although Senator Kennedy stood virtually alone today in opposition to this bill, the ultimate future of this legislation remains unclear. In 1999, this legislation was attached to another big bill, the Juvenile Justice package. As an amendment to this big bill, H.R. 218 received an astounding 86% vote in the House of Representatives (372-53). At that time, however, anti-gun amendments relating to the fictional, "Gun Show Loophole" killed the entire package and with it National Concealed Carry for Cops. "I am very worried that 2004 may be a nearly exact repeat of 1999," warned Jim Fotis. He explained, "Last time several police unions and liberal Chiefs of Police put their support behind the anti-gun agenda. And, as a direct result, law enforcement's number one legislative priority died!" Today, on the Senate floor, the Senators pushing for 'killer' amendments to the underlying bill, S.1805, again are claiming their anti-gun 'gun and magazine ban' and 'gun show regulation' amendments are being made in the name of law enforcement. Some Senators even named police groups as supporting their anti-gun, killer amendments. The Senators seeking to kill S. 1805 identified police groups as supporting the killer amendments even though those same police groups claim their number one legislative priority is allowing off duty and retired officers the means to carry concealed handguns to defend themselves, their families and our communities. "If these anti-gun amendments continue to be put forward under the law enforcement banner, those seeking to kill S. 1805 -- and along with it National Concealed Carry for Cops -- may well succeed," said Fotis. As the leading police group behind H.R. 218 and S. 253, LEAA calls on the nearly one hundred other police groups supporting National Concealed Carry for Cops to speak with one voice against the anti-gun amendments now before Congress. Fotis declared, "It is time for all of law enforcement to stand together to support law enforcement's clear, number one legislative priority and stop being pawns used by politicians who misuse law enforcement's credibility to advance their anti-gun agenda and kill S. 1805." LEAA, on behalf of America's almost 700,000 law enforcement professionals whose voices aren't being heard in this debate and our 75,000 Members and Supporters nationwide, strongly supports S. 1805 "The Lawful Protection of Commerce in Arms Act," amended with S. 253. "This legislation will protect the legitimate gun manufacturers and retailers who provide police their guns. And, with National Concealed Carry for Cops attached, it will give our police the means to fight back against vengeful violent criminals and help protect us from terrorism in our communities," Fotis concluded. For more information about H.R. 218 or S. 253 please go to: http://leaa.org/218/218talk.html ## END ## With over 75,000 Members and Supporters nationwide, the Law Enforcement Alliance of America (LEAA) is the nation’s largest coalition of law enforcement professionals, crime victims, and concerned citizens dedicated to making America safer. |
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