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Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, today I rise in support of the Thune amendment. The Thune amendment to me is very straightforward. It does not preempt State concealed carry laws, it does not create a Federal concealed carry permit. It simply allows law-abiding individuals, law-abiding individuals to lawfully carry concealed firearms across State lines while following the laws of the host State.
Just like a driver's license--this is my Wyoming driver's license--just like a driver's license, the Thune amendment is a license for self-defense across State lines. It means with this license--my concealed carry license from Wyoming--I will not be limited to Wyoming. Just like a regular driver's license, just about the same photo, identification issues, and the only difference is this one from Wyoming says ``concealed firearm permit.'' It has on it a picture of a handgun.
Well, today we are hearing the same arguments against the Thune amendment that we heard from the people who wanted to ban assault weapons. During that semiautomatic assault weapons debate, we heard all of the scare tactics. We heard: There will be blood all over the streets. Terrorists will be able to purchase Uzis and AK-47s. Our cities will turn into the Wild West. The lives of law enforcement will be in danger.
This is simply not the case. A study for the Department of Justice found 40 percent of felons had not committed certain crimes because they feared the potential victims would be armed.
The National Institute of Justice conducted a survey that found that 74 percent of criminals who had committed burglaries or violent crimes said they would be less likely to commit a crime if they thought the victim would be armed.
In States where concealed carry permits are issued, it is a fact that the crime rates go down. Let's take a look at Illinois and Florida. Illinois does not allow concealed carry permits. The number of murders last year in Chicago, 511.
Since Florida passed their concealed carry bill and signed it into law, violent crime has dropped by 32 percent, and murders in Florida dropped 58 percent.
Criminals do not get licensed to carry guns. Criminals do not fill out the paperwork, go to the courthouse, get fingerprinted, and wait weeks to receive their concealed carry permit. Criminals issue their own concealed carry permits.
In the District of Columbia, crime rates are high because the criminals have the advantage over the victims. The gun laws in the District outlaw law-abiding citizens from self-defense while people walk home from work or from the store. They know it is highly unlikely in the District of Columbia that the victims will be carrying a gun for self-defense.
This is a commonsense amendment. It makes sense for law-abiding gun owners all across the country. I urge my colleagues to vote in support of the Thune amendment.
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