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Nation's Cops Call on Congress to Let Them Carry Guns

Josey1Josey1 Member Posts: 9,598 ✭✭
edited October 2001 in General Discussion
Nation's Cops Call on Congress to Let Them Carry Guns; Congress May Include H.R. 218 in Terrorism Fighting Legislation Today To: National Desk Contact: Eunice Deeds of the Law Enforcement Alliance of America, 703-847-2677 WASHINGTON, Oct. 3 /U.S. Newswire/ -- This morning, James J. Fotis, executive director of the Law Enforcement Alliance of America (LEAA) called on House Judiciary Committee Chairman, James Sensenbrenner, (R-Wis.) to immediately move H.R. 218, the "Community Protection Act." LEAA co-authored H.R. 218, known as the "Community Protection Act," with Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham (R-Calif.) and has been pushing passage for nearly a decade. H.R. 218 allows qualified off-duty and retired law enforcement to carry their firearms nationwide to thwart and deter criminal activity 24/7. Fotis, himself a highly decorated, retired police officer from New York, reaffirmed to the powerful chairman of Judiciary Committee that, "We'd like you to get this bill out of committee immediately and let the members of Congress vote it up or down." LEAA, the leading law enforcement group supporting this bill, recapped H.R. 218's status accordingly, "372 members of Congress supported the Community Protection Act in a recorded floor vote in the last session of Congress. Currently there are nearly 200 co-sponsors signed onto this bill -- about 20 more and we will have a majority of this House on board supporting it. Almost every House leader is behind this bill and H.R. 218 has members from both ends of the partisan perspective supporting it. And, finally, more than 76 law enforcement groups nationwide are calling for its passage, now more than ever." The recent attacks on America have dramatically increased support for this the "Community Protection Act." Many experts believe America's next terrorist assault won't be jets crashing through revered landmarks; the next attack the USA faces will likely be on our streets, near our homes, not on planes. Accordingly, America must be prepared to fight back and win next time. President Bush is calling for a Homeland Security Office to oversee and coordinate anti-terrorism, home and community defense efforts. Whether Congress votes H.R. 218 into law stand-alone, primarily as a public safety and officer safety issue, or includes it as part of a comprehensive legislative package to fight terrorism, LEAA has declared, "No better time exists to pass H.R. 218; we must give the more than 1.5 million trained, experienced and qualified law enforcement professionals -- everywhere in this land, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, at no cost to the taxpayers -- the tool to protect our nation's citizens." "After almost ten years of working this bill, LEAA feels confident that if the 'Community Protection Act' is presented to Congress it will pass and pass overwhelmingly!" Fotis said. Fotis has challenged every member of Congress, "If you won't pass H.R. 218 for public and officer safety, if you won't move it immediately because of the treat of terrorism, than pass it to honor the valiant members of America's thin blue line who have shown us how heroic they can be when they risked their lives on September 11 and the days that followed. Let's pass this bill for them." With 65,000 member and supporters, the Law Enforcement Alliance of America (LEAA) is the nation's largest coalition of law enforcement professionals, crime victims, and concerned citizens dedicated to making America safer. Visit our Web site at www.LEAA.org. To schedule an interview about the "Community Protection Act," call the Law Enforcement Alliance of America at 703-847-2677; for complete information about the history of H.R. 218 go to http://www.leaa.org/218/index.html

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