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As we reported in last week's Grassroots Alert, on December 10, the U.S. House of Representatives approved an NRA-backed amendment, introduced by U.S. Senator Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), to allow Amtrak travelers to transport firearms in checked baggage where checked baggage service is available. The Wicker amendment was included along with several government agencies' appropriations bills in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2010.
The Firearms Owners' Protection Act protects law-abiding gun owners from local interference when traveling by car, and the Transportation Security Administration has rules for transporting guns in checked baggage for those traveling by air. But for nearly a decade, those who travel by train have been prohibited from bringing firearms on board Amtrak. The Wicker Amendment will fix that problem. A modified version of the amendment was included as one of the six appropriations bills considered as an omnibus spending package. The measure was passed by both houses of Congress and was signed into law on Wednesday, December 16. |
