On Monday, President Bush (R) signed into law the Homeland Security of Act of 2002, marking the most extensive federal re-organization since the creation of the Defense Department in 1947. Office of Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge was named the new secretary-designate of the new Department of Homeland Security. This historic event helped establish one of NRA’s top priorities for the year—as language that would allow qualified commercial pilots to have access to firearms as a last line of defense against terrorist hijackers was included. Under the new law, training is set to begin by the end of February 2003 through the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). The TSA will train pilots as "federal flight deck officers," which will include training equivalent to federal agents. The new law will also provide the approved pilots with the power to make arrests. Our thanks go out to all of our members who contacted their lawmakers and urged them to ensure the legislation that established the new Homeland Security Department included language that would establish an armed pilots program.
Bush Signs Homeland Security Bill — Includes Armed Pilots Program
Monday, December 2, 2002
Monday, December 8, 2025
Until the National Firearms Act is a relic of the past, every little bit that makes it easier to navigate can surely help. In recent weeks, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) ...
Monday, March 24, 2025
Australia implemented a firearm ban and mandatory confiscation in 1996 pursuant to the National Firearms Agreement, in which nearly 700,000 privately-owned firearms were turned in to the government and destroyed.
Monday, November 17, 2025
Last week the North Carolina General Assembly briefly returned from recess and re-referred Senate Bill 50, Freedom to Carry NC, to the House Rules Committee.
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The National Rifle Association joined the Second Amendment Foundation, California Rifle & Pistol Association, Second Amendment Law Center, Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus, and Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms in filing ...
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Joe Biden has been out of office for over 300 days now, but his anti-gun legacy lingers, including in the form of a playbook left behind for anti-liberty governors (hello, Governor Gretchen Whitmer!) to consult. NRA-ILA ...
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