The "Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act," a top priority for the National Rifle Association and other gun-rights groups, passed 231-198. Six House Democrats crossed the aisle and voted for the measure, while 14 Republicans opposed it.
Senate Democrats are strongly opposed to the bill, arguing it would override individual states' efforts to control who can carry concealed weapons inside their borders and create what is in essence a national gun license.
Also included in House GOP gun package is a proposal to improve the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, the national system of criminal background checks managed by the FBI. Calls for an NICS revamp grew louder after the recent mass shooting in Sutherland Springs, Texas, which left 26 churchgoers dead. After the shooting, the Air Force revealed it had failed to report the gunman’s 2012 conviction on domestic violence to the database, which would have barred him from making a lawful gun purchase.
A third provision requests that Attorney General Jeff Sessions give an official Justice Department position on whether the use of "bump stocks" — a device that increases the rate of fire for semi-automatic rifles — would lead to additional criminal penalties. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is evaluating whether it can regulate bump-stock sales.
