{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://barletta.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/barletta-concealed-carry-makes-law-abiding-americans-safer", "Barletta: Concealed Carry Makes Law Abiding Americans Safer", "2017-12-06", "2017", "2017-12", "Republican", "House", "PA", "Lou Barletta", "B001269", "barletta.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Today the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 38, National Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act, by a bipartisan vote of 231 to 198.\u00a0 The legislation would allow law-abiding Americans who are qualified to carry concealed handguns in one state to also carry in other states with concealed carry laws.\u00a0 The bill also includes language from the Fix NICS Act of 2017, which would ensure agencies are reporting to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). \nCurrently, forty-two states broadly recognize law-abiding American citizens\u2019 right to carry concealed handguns for self-defense.\u00a0 All fifty states allow some form of concealed carry.\u00a0 Rep. Lou Barletta (PA-11), who has consistently supported concealed carry reciprocity, voted in favor of the bill. \n\u201cThe right for law-abiding Americans to own firearms is clearly affirmed in the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution,\u201d Barletta said.\u00a0 \u201cConcealed carry permit holders have proven to be more law abiding statistically than non-permit holders. \u00a0Since states have moved to pass carry laws, violent crime has plummeted.\u00a0 Today the House simply reaffirmed the Second Amendment constitutional rights of all law-abiding Americans. \u00a0Law-abiding citizens have every right to self-defense, and I am pleased the House passed this important legislation.\u201d\nWhile all 50 states allow concealed carry in some form, since 1991, 25 states have adopted Right to Carry laws.\u00a0 Since 1991, the number of people with carry permits has risen to over 12 million, and the nation\u2019s violent crime rate has decreased 51 percent.\u00a0 In Vermont, a Constitutional carry state, the violent crime rate decreased by 19.2 percent from 2012 to 2014. \nSelf-defense is a fundamental right in the United States.\u00a0 In District of Columbia v. Heller (2008), the Supreme Court ruled that the \u201cinherent right of self-defense has been central to the Second Amendment right,\u201d which is \u201cthe individual right to possess and carry weapons in case of confrontation.\u201d\u00a0 \nThe legislation upholds all federal prohibitions on individuals who cannot legally possess a firearm, including those convicted of a crime punishable by a year imprisonment, convicted of a misdemeanor domestic violence charge, or individuals who have been proven mentally incapable of possessing a firearm.\u00a0 \nThe patchwork of state permitting requirements has created a complex legal web American citizens must navigate when traveling across state lines.\u00a0 The bill maintains states\u2019 rights to determine permitting requirements, but allows citizens who meet the qualifications for concealed carry in their home states to carry in any state as long as they follow the local concealed carry laws. \nBarletta went on to point out, \u201cThe overwhelming majority of all criminals involved in firearm crime obtained their guns illegally.\u00a0 Criminals will obtain weapons, but the law should never prevent law abiding Americans from their right to self-defense.\u201d\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://barletta.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/barletta-concealed-carry-makes-law-abiding-americans-safer"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.1884081177413464, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}