Every member of Congress pledges to support and defend the Constitution. After a gunman opened fire on Republican lawmakers playing baseball, how the natural duty of self-preservation factors into that Oath of Office has taken on increased significance.
As House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., fights for his life on an operating table, congressmen are coming to the uncomfortable realization that they’re soft targets. Without Scalise’s security detail, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., argues, the gunman would’ve easily massacred the Republicans. Such a scenario could arise again in the future in part because members can’t carry a concealed firearm.
Currently the District of Columbia doesn’t recognize gun permits from the states, and Capitol Hill Police prohibit representatives from taking firearms in Congress. A proposal by Rep. Barry Loudermilk, R-Ga., would change that by allowing lawmakers to keep a gun on their hip while legislating.
“I think we need to look at some kind of reciprocity for members here,” Loudermilk said. “But also we need to look at security detail. If Scalise hadn’t been on our team, it would have been really bad.” And he’s right.
The proverbial good guy with a gun stopped the bad guy with a gun on Wednesday from carrying out his ballpark massacre. If a couple of the Republicans on that roster had packed pistols in their bat bags, perhaps the gunman would’ve been brought down sooner. While that might offend beltway sensibilities, it’s common practice in the states.
According to the Crime Prevention Research Center, 18 state capitols allow their legislators to keep a gun on their person. And for the most part, it’s been more than safe. Guns have gone off accidentally in both Kentucky and Virginia and guns have been left unattended in both Missouri and Colorado. But otherwise, no injuries have been recorded from legislative firearms.
Applying those local statutes to the federal legislature is logical. After all, there’s an inverse relationship between guns in the hands of responsible citizens and decreased crime. Same thing can happen on Capitol Hill.
Some will object that this would allow the unhinged to use deadly weapons inside DC. But though lawmakers are a pernicious lot generally, their sins are not typically violent. As our representatives, they ought to be able to protect themselves.
Don’t misunderstand. None of this should be taken as criticism of Capitol Police. Those brave men and women do a herculean job daily, keeping Congress accessible to citizens and safe for lawmakers. For all their abilities though, they can’t be omnipresent.
Extending freedom seems like the easiest way to keep Congress safe. So let Congress pack heat. Aspiring terrorists would think twice if they knew that Sen. Ted Cruz could be carrying a .44 Magnum or Sen. Kamala Harris might be packing a snub-nose revolver. After all, if it works at the state level, apply it in the nation’s capital.
Philip Wegmann is a commentary writer for the Washington Examiner.
