There are more poor people in the United States — 49 million — than the population of Canada: 34 million. There are 15 million unemployed in the U.S. — 2 million of whom no longer qualify for unemployment assistance. The national debt, the issue so many fiscal conservatives and Tea Party candidates campaigned on to overtake control of the House in 2010, officially reached 15 trillion yesterday.
With so many pressing issues at hand, a Congress with a 9% approval rating (the lowest in American history) passed gun legislation through the House this week.
The legislation makes it easier for people to carry a concealed firearm across state lines, allowing people to use their concealed gun permit in any state without regard to requirements in other states. If the legislation becomes law, a person rejected for a concealed carry permit in their home state could travel to another state and get a concealed carry permit to use it any state other than their own.
Even with larger issues at hand and a debt crisis in Europe, the House passed a measure, (already passed in 1956) to reaffirm In God We Trust as the national motto on November 1. Though the words are already embossed in big gold letters in the House and Senate chambers, the House took time to debate the measure in a lengthy Judiciary Committee markup and pass it on the House floor on November 1.
The attention given to that issue followed by a focus on concealed carry laws was another example of the “God, guns, gays” agenda seen over 10 years ago when Tom DeLay and Dennis Hastert controlled the House in better economic times.
There are approximately 100,000 people shot each year in the U.S. According to the CDC, 66,000 people were treated for gun injuries in emergency rooms in 2009. Though many gun deaths are suicides, 31,000 people died from gun violence in 2008 (latest year statistics are available). According to the National Institute of Justice, 477,040 were victims of a crime committed with a firearm in 2005 and 11,000 were killed.
That a member of the U.S. House, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was seriously injured after being shot in the head as six others were murdered in January, including a Federal judge and a nine year old girl, appears not to have had an effect on legislative direction.
The one-size fits all legislation was criticized on the House floor before passing 272-154. “This is a federal power grab coming from a majority who claims to be a defender of states rights,” said Rep. Jim Moran during the debate.
“Law enforcement is trying to curb illegal gun smuggling. This bill allows traffickers with concealed carry permits to transport firearms into destination states and present an unverifiable permit if stopped by police. This is a blatant legislative overreach presumably because it was next on the NRA’s legislative wish list,” added Moran.
“It’s a situation where weaker state laws become the national law,” said Rep. Bobby Scott. All major law enforcement associations opposed the legislation, including the the International Association of Chiefs of Police.
“Three hundred young people are injured and killed by gunfire from ages 15 to 24 every week,” said Rep. John Conyers. Four African American members voted for the change in concealed carry gun laws: Democratic Reps. Terri Sewell and Sanford Bishop and GOP Reps. Tim Scott and Allen West.
The gun legislation’s co-sponsor, Rep. Cliff Stearns, argued that a concealed gun permit should be no different than a driver’s license regarding state by state reciprocity. House Judiciary Chairman Lamar Smith argued more guns make society safer and cited a study as proof.
With 15 million unemployed and a report from the CENSUS last week declaring 1 in 7 Americans live in poverty, there is little evidence Congress will challenge bigger issues effecting millions. Though Congress passed a piece of the President’s jobs bill regarding hiring Veterans, it was the only job related legislation to reach President Obama’s desk since the GOP took over the House in January.
The U.S. House will only be in session 11 days this November. When it adjourns tomorrow for Thanksgiving recess it will return in December and is only scheduled to be in session for 6 days.
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