Mac Thornberry, the Congressman who represents the Texas Panhandle region, cosponsored a bill this week in the House of Representatives intended to loosen gun laws in the United States.
As The Amarillo Globe-News reports, the legislation would make it easier for gun owners to carry their weapons across state lines.
The bill marks Congress’s first attempt to legislate gun ownership in the wake of the mass shootings in Las Vegas and rural Texas. The effort is drawing criticism, as gun advocates were hoping lawmakers would restrict gun access after the shootings—not loosen gun laws.
But Thornberry insists his bill is intended to “help protect” the rights of Americans.
“Just like we expect one state to respect a driver’s license from another state, we should expect one state to recognize another’s concealed carry permit," he said.
Democratic Rep. Elizabeth Esty, called Congress’s response to the shootings “unspeakable.”