As the new Republican-controlled Congress convenes and President Trump prepares to make his mark with a pro-Second Amendment agenda, one piece of legislation must stand above all others: the National Constitutional Carry Act.
Introduced by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) for the first time late last year, this bill embodies the original intent of the Second Amendment—ensuring that all law-abiding Americans can exercise their right to bear arms without government-imposed barriers, no matter where they are in the country.
With 29 states already embracing Constitutional Carry, the momentum for this commonsense reform is undeniable.
Millions of Americans live in states where they can carry firearms without first groveling for a permit or paying excessive fees. Yet, astonishingly, many Republicans in Congress are pushing for a weaker alternative: a watered-down national concealed carry reciprocity bill. While reciprocity may sound like progress, it falls far short of the freedom that Constitutional Carry offers.
The push for reciprocity is being led by none other than Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), who has introduced a bill misleadingly labeled as the “National Constitutional Concealed Carry Act.”
Don’t let the name fool you—Cornyn’s bill is not Constitutional Carry. Instead, it requires Americans to maintain concealed carry permits, effectively endorsing the idea that gun owners must ask permission from the government to exercise a God-given right. This blatant attempt to confuse gun owners into believing his compromise legislation aligns with true Constitutional Carry should not stand.
Cornyn’s motives are suspect at best. His credibility on gun rights is already in tatters after leading the charge on the infamous “Bipartisan Safer Communities Act,” which incentivized states to adopt red flag gun confiscation laws and expanded the federal NICS gun registry. He’s also a key figure behind the “Fix NICS” debacle, another scheme that chipped away at Second Amendment rights.
It’s worth noting that Cornyn filed his reciprocity bill just one day after a leaked poll revealed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton leading him in a hypothetical Republican primary. Coincidence? Hardly.
Republicans now hold a trifecta in Washington, controlling the House, Senate, and White House. This is the moment for bold, uncompromising leadership on gun rights.
Constitutional Carry should not be viewed as a radical concept; it’s a reaffirmation of the Second Amendment’s plain text. Your rights shouldn’t change when you cross state lines. Yet, instead of rallying behind Massie’s National Constitutional Carry Act, establishment Republicans are trying to water down the pro-gun agenda with compromises like Cornyn’s reciprocity bill.
Gun owners cannot afford to let this moment slip away.
National Constitutional Carry must be the standard for pro-gun legislation in 2025. Grassroots conservatives have fought so hard for so long to make Constitutional Carry a reality in nearly 30 states, and now is the time to take that victory nationwide.
President Trump campaigned on protecting gun rights, and he now has the opportunity to deliver.
The choice is clear: will Republicans fulfill their promise to restore the Second Amendment to its rightful place, or will they squander this chance by settling for half-measures and compromises? Or worse, will they follow the likes of John Cornyn who helped deliver Joe Biden a major win on gun control?
It’s time for gun owners to make their voices heard and demand that Congress pass National Constitutional Carry, not another weak attempt to regulate away our freedoms.
