Transportation, Housing And Urban Development, And Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010--Continued

Floor Speech

TRANSPORTATION, HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2010--Continued -- (Senate - September 15, 2009)

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

AMENDMENT NO. 2366, AS MODIFIED

Mr. WICKER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to set aside the pending amendment and call up amendment No. 2366, as modified.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. WICKER. Mr. President, I rise today in support of amendment No. 2366, as modified, which I have offered on behalf of millions of law-abiding gun owners across the country.

Earlier this year, I offered an amendment to the budget that would have limited certain budget opportunities to Amtrak, unless this federally subsidized agency enacted policies to accommodate passengers' second amendment rights. The amendment I offered passed by a bipartisan vote of 63 to 35, but it was not included in the final version of the legislation when it returned from conference.

Therefore, I am here on the floor to try again. In our country today, airline passengers may transport firearms and ammunition in secure checked baggage when declared during the check-in process. But, on the other hand, Amtrak passengers are not permitted to do likewise. This means that sportsmen who wish to use an Amtrak train for hunting trips cannot do so because they are not allowed to bring a firearm in checked luggage--something that is done every day at airports across our country.

I want to emphasize that this amendment only deals with secured and checked luggage, as checked baggage on Amtrak trains. Law-abiding gun owners should not be penalized for seeking alternative means of travel. At one time, Amtrak accepted firearms in secure checked baggage, but this policy was changed in 2001.

The commonsense amendment before us today is straightforward. It simply says that if Amtrak continues to deny the right of gun owners to securely transport firearms in checked luggage, the rail line will no longer receive a Federal subsidy of $1.55 billion. At the request of the leadership of the committee, I have modified my amendment to make it effective only after March 31, 2010, in order to give the agency adequate time in which to comply with this amendment.

I want my colleagues to know that the amendment before us today mirrors current TSA requirements to check a firearm for air travel. I must say these requirements are detailed and strict. For example, should my amendment pass, the following requirements must be met:

No. 1, a passenger who wishes to transport a firearm must be travelling on a route that accepts checked luggage.

No. 2, the passenger must declare the firearm before boarding the train.

No. 3, the firearm must be unloaded and stored in a hard-side container that is locked, as is required on the airlines.

No. 4, only the passenger can have the key or combination for the container.

This was done successfully by Amtrak prior to 2001, without incident. Regional rail lines, such as Alaska Railroad Corporation, allow firearms, as I am trying to do in this amendment, and that is done currently in Alaska Railroad Corporation, again, without incident.

It is sometimes much more convenient for sportsmen to travel by rail, particularly in rural and remote parts of the country. The Alaska Railroad Corporation knows there is no need to show prejudice to lawful American sportsmen. That is why their travellers may transport firearms in checked luggage, and that is why we are asking nothing more than that and nothing less than that of the government-controlled Amtrak system.

I might also add that spending is certainly out of control in Washington, and it is hard for me to imagine Congress considering providing over $1.5 billion to Amtrak, while the rail line intentionally limits its revenue and chooses not to receive passenger miles from this specific and law-abiding segment of travelers.

Americans should not have their second amendment rights restricted for any reason, particularly if they choose to travel on America's federally subsidized rail line.

A vote in support of this amendment is a vote in support of the second amendment and for the right of gun owners across America. I urge adoption of the amendment.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source