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National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity
Thwarted Despite Bipartisan Majority Vote

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On Wednesday, July 22, by a margin of 58-39, a bipartisan majority of the U.S. Senate voted in favor of an amendment offered by Senators John Thune (R-SD) and David Vitter (R-LA) to provide interstate recognition of Right-to-Carry permits.  The amendment to S.1390 -- the National Defense Authorization Act -- would acknowledge that the right to self-defense extends across state lines. Under this provision, individuals with carry permits from their home state, or who are otherwise allowed to carry a firearm in their home state, could carry in any other state that issues permits.

Despite the bipartisan majority of votes, the Thune-Vitter amendment did not pass because it fell just two votes short of the required 60 votes for approval.  This 60-vote approval threshold was decided upon by a procedural agreement between Senate leaders.  The agreement was, in part, used to avoid a filibuster and any hostile amendments to the Thune-Vitter amendment. 

No Surprise: Anti-Gun Groups Wage Desperation Attack On Right-To-Carry Before Senate Reciprocity Vote--Let's just say it didn't exactly catch anyone at NRA off-guard, when earlier this week Brady Campaign and Violence Policy Center (VPC) raised superficial, misleading arguments in an effort to derail the Thune-Vitter Right-to-Carry permit reciprocity amendment.

Update On Sotomayor Nomination:  As we reported last week, NRA has announced its opposition to the confirmation of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the position of Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court.

Subsequent to that announcement, this week, NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre, and NRA-ILA Executive Director Chris W. Cox sent a letter to U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), and U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and all members of the U.S. Senate giving notice that NRA-ILA will be scoring Senators based on their vote.

Your Help Is Needed In Support of BATFE Reform Bills S. 941 And H.R. 2296

As we reported in May, Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) have introduced S. 941, the "Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Reform and Firearms Modernization Act of 2009" in the U.S. Senate.  Representatives Steve King (R-Iowa) and Zack Space (D-Ohio) have introduced a companion bill-H.R. 2296-in the U.S. House.  The bills would roll back unnecessary restrictions, correct errors, and codify longstanding congressional policies in the firearms arena.  These bipartisan bills are a vital step to modernize and improve BATFE operations. 

Another Way To Get Involved:  Online Social Networking -- Internet social networking has exploded in recent years.  Websites such as Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter attract millions of users. Recent estimates are that two out of every three Americans visit social networking websites, and roughly 90% of teenagers have profiles on at least one of these sites.  These online communities foster a connection between their users, and allow distribution of user-generated content (like pictures, profiles, music, video, and text). 

Stephen Halbrook Testifies Against Sotomayor:  Independent Institute Research Fellow Stephen P. Halbrook testified on July 17^th before the Senate Judiciary Committee against the confirmation of Sonia Sotomayor for Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. Dr. Halbrook is the author of the Institute's landmark book, The Founders' Second Amendment: Origins of the Right to Bear Arms, that has formed the basis for the Second Amendment Book Bomb.