Congressman to push bill that lets lawmakers carry guns
By Marisa Schultz June 18, 2017
WASHINGTON – A Republican congressman who survived the horrific baseball shooting will put forth legislation this week to allow lawmakers to carry guns throughout the nation’s capital.
“I’m going to be introducing legislation this week … to allow Congressmen to carry a sidearm, should they so desire,” Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.) told Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures.”
Members of Congress are “high-profile targets, but we have absolutely no way to defend ourselves because of Washington, D.C.’s rather restrictive gun laws.”
Brooks said the legislation would allow members of Congress be armed in places throughout Washington where average citizens typically cannot carry guns.
“I want congressmen to be treated as if they were law enforcement,” Brooks said, “given that we are high-profile targets for the bad guys, the lone wolves, the terrorists.”
When liberal-activist gunman James Hodgkinson opened fire Wednesday on a group of GOP lawmakers practicing baseball, the attack would have been far more devastating if it weren’t for the two armed Capitol Police officers assigned to protect Rep. Steve Scalise, the House majority whip, according to witnesses.
Brooks said the gunman had a list of GOP targets in his pocket, including himself, and he’s concerned other deranged people may come after him.
“I’m very much concerned by that,” Brooks said of being targeted. “…You’ve got a situation where, yes, this one shooter has been killed, but he’s a member of an organization that applauded what transpired on Wednesday. Those of us who are on this assassination list, it behooves us to be a little bit more wary than we otherwise might be.”
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