(Wednesday, July 10, 2002) -- Today, the House of Representatives passed the armed pilots bill with over 300 congressmen voting in favor of the bill.
Especially gratifying is the fact that the House removed many of the horrendous provisions that were added in the Transportation Committee. As passed by the House, H.R. 4635 opens the door for ANY PILOT to carry a firearm in the cockpit (not just two percent of the pilots). Moreover, the two-year "test" period has been removed from the bill, which means that once pilots start carrying guns, they will not be stripped of their side arms by anti-gun bureaucrats at a later date.
The battle now moves to the Senate, where Senator Bob Smith (R-NH) is looking for an opportunity to offer his bill, S. 2554 -- a bill which is still superior to the House passed bill. Stay tuned for more details from GOA.