President Trump told Republicans on Wednesday they should not include a measure that allows people with concealed carry permits in one state to carry across state lines in a comprehensive gun bill.
“I think that maybe that bill will one day pass, but it should pass separate,” Trump said during a bipartisan meeting at the White House. “If you’re going to put concealed carry between states into this bill, we’re talking about a whole new ball game. I’m with you, but let it be a separate bill.”
The president sat down with lawmakers Wednesday to discuss measures to curb gun violence as Congress again wades into the gun control debate following the Feb. 14 shooting at a high school in Parkland, Fla.
Trump told those in attendance he wants the bipartisan Fix NICS bill, sponsored by Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, expanded to a comprehensive gun package.
In December, the House passed a bill similar to Fix NICS that includes a measure that allows for concealed carry reciprocity across all 50 states.
Senate Democrats, though, oppose the measure.
The Fix NICS bill is designed to get more states and government agencies to send information to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System.
Despite the enthusiasm for the concealed carry reciprocity provision from House Republicans, Trump encouraged GOP lawmakers to pursue it as a separate bill and warned pushing to include it in a comprehensive gun control package could doom passage.
“If you add concealed carry to this, you’ll never get it passed,” Trump told lawmakers.
In discussing also provisions of a larger gun bill, the president raised the possibility of measures to arm teachers, strengthen background checks, and stop those with mental health issues from purchasing firearms. He also discussed raising the federal minimum purchasing age to buy semi-automatic rifles from 18 to 21.
