Of the six Democrats who voted in favor of H.R. 38, three of the districts are border districts: Rep. Bishop’s district borders Alabama and Florida; Rep. Peterson’s district borders North Dakota and South Dakota; and Rep. Kind’s district borders Minnesota and Iowa.
Of the thirteen states that completely support (a state in which no district for “no”) H.R. 38, Vermont was the only state that Clinton won during the 2016 presidential election. Vermont is one of two 2016 blue states that are unrestricted, the other being Maine.
Comstock’s clam that H.R. 38 was bipartisan is false no matter which way you analyze the vote; six democrats of 193 is hardly bipartisan.
Most importantly, why was this bill passed? Is there a need to travel into another state with a concealed license? If so, what are the reasons why? It’s likely the reasons are rooted in how to deal with mass shootings and lone-wolf terrorist attacks. One side argues that more guns are needed to stop these issues and the other vehemently believes the opposite.
What is uniquely interesting about the passing of H.R. 38 is the complete change in the state’s right argument. Traditionally, Republicans are faithful believers in state’s rights. This can be traced to the Civil War and has continued through today; it has been used to interpret the Second Amendment; and used to decide whether homosexuals can marry. However, with the passing of H.R. 38, the Republicans have signaled a complete change in this belief.
The Six Democrats Who Voted Aye
On Rep. Bishop’s website, he has a section for the 2nd Amendment because he is a “strong proponent of Second Amendment rights… [he] believes that law-abiding adults should be free to exercise their right to purchase, own, and carry firearms for the protection of their homes and families.” He also includes a statement on the 2017 Las Vegas shooting: “These senseless shootings must stop. We must ensure that weapons are not falling into the wrong hands and that we fully fund programs and resources that can identify and address dangerous behavior before it is too late.” According to GovTrack, Rep. Bishop is seventeenth most among all representatives in joining bipartisan bills.
According to Oregon Public Broadcasting, Rep. Schrader “often votes with the National Rifle Association, which gave him a 71 percent positive rating in 2016.” Shrader, like Comstock, stated that H.R. 38 contained language that would “strengthen background checks for those seeking to buy firearms.” As noted before, there was no such language in H.R. 38. According to GovTrack, Rep. Schrader is sixth most among all representatives in joining bipartisan bills and seventh most conservative among House Democrats.
There is little information available about Rep. Gonzalez. Any press releases about H.R. 38 could not be found on his website or social media.
Rep. Kind has supported similar legislation before. In 2009, he cosponsored Rep. Stearns bill H.R. 197 – National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act of 2009. According to GovTrack, Rep. Kind is fifth most conservative among House Democrats.
From the 28th District of Texas, Rep. Cuellar appeared on Grant Stinchfield’s program on NRATV to discuss H.R. 38. Stinchfield described Rep. Cuellar as “one of the few Democrats that comes on this program” and gave him a “sincere thank you” for supporting the bill. Rep. Cuellar said his vote had nothing to do with being a Democrat and has everything to do with the Second Amendment. He added that he has to make sure that he protects the basic constitutional rights of Americans and believes those rights transcend borders.
The 7th district of Minnesota runs from Canada to Iowa. According to a NRA Political Victory Fund, the NRA endorsed Rep. Peterson for reelection in 2014 and gave him a “A” rating, which is “reserved for a pro-gun legislator. According to GovTrack, Rep. Peterson is the most bipartisan among all representatives in joining bipartisan bills.
Next Stop: The Senate
After passing the House, the bill’s next stop is the Senate. It should be known that this bill is the “first major firearm-related bill Congress has voted on since the massacres in Las Vegas and Texas earlier this year.”
According to a piece by Jana J. Pruet from The Blaze, “It would take eight Senate Democrats, along with all 52 Senate Republicans to get the 60 votes needed” to pass the bill. H.R. 38 was received in the Senate, read twice, and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
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