Senate Votes to prohibit funding to Amtrak unless....

[338Shooter]

Noice!


http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/09/16/amtrak.guns/

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Senate voted Wednesday to prohibit federal funding to Amtrak unless it allows licensed gun owners to transport their weapons on the passenger trains by next year.

The measure, an amendment to the Transportation and Housing
Appropriations bill, passed 68-30.

...

"Under current practices, all of the American domestic airlines permit firearms in their checked luggage. Other American passenger railroads also allow checked firearms," Wicker said on the Senate floor.

"Only the federally subsidized Amtrak prohibits law-abiding American citizens from exercising their Second Amendment rights in checked baggage," he said.

 

[specialop24]

Good. We should be able to transport by all public means. As long as its done in a safe manner why not. At least they got this one right.

 

[LightningCrash]

Knock me over with a feather.

 

[bettingpython]

w00t!

 

[Roadking Larry]

allows licensed gun owners

This part gets my attention right now. I want to know what they define as licensed. You do not have to have a license to transport your firearms on aircraft.

 

[kerryt1]

I thought about riding down to Dallas on the train for the heck of it until I learned of their policies.

 

[vvvvvvv]

111th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1638

To permit Amtrak passengers to safely transport firearms and ammunition
in their checked baggage.


_______________________________________________________________________


IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

August 6, 2009

Mr. Wicker (for himself, Mr. Brownback, Mr. Coburn, Mr. DeMint, Mr.
Ensign, and Mr. Thune) introduced the following bill; which was read
twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL



To permit Amtrak passengers to safely transport firearms and ammunition
in their checked baggage.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Amtrak Secure Transportation of
Firearms Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

Congress makes the following findings:
(1) The Second Amendment to the Constitution of the United
States provides that ``the right of the people to keep and bear
Arms, shall not be infringed''.
(2) The Supreme Court of the United States ruled, in
District of Columbia v. Heller, that ``the Second Amendment
protects an individual right to possess a firearm . . . and to
use that arm for traditionally lawful purposes''.
(3) At one time, Amtrak accepted firearms in secure checked
baggage.
(4) While airline passengers may transport firearms and
ammunition in secure checked baggage when declared during the
check-in process, Amtrak passengers are not permitted to
transport firearms and ammunition in secure checked baggage.
(5) Law-abiding gun owners should not be penalized for
seeking alternative means of travel, particularly on a
federally subsidized rail line.
(6) Congress needs to ensure that Amtrak does not override
the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens.

SEC. 3. SECURE TRANSPORTATION OF FIREARMS ON PASSENGER TRAINS.

Section 24305 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding
at the end the following:
``(g) Secure Transportation of Firearms.--If an Amtrak station
accepts checked baggage for a specific Amtrak route, an Amtrak
passenger holding a ticket for such route shall be allowed to place an
unloaded firearm or starter pistol in a checked bag on such route if--
``(1) before checking the bag or boarding the train, the
passenger declares to Amtrak, either orally or in writing, that
the firearm is in his or her bag and is unloaded;
``(2) the firearm is carried in a hard-sided container;
``(3) such container is locked; and
``(4) only the passenger has the key or combination for
such container.
``(h) Small Arms Ammunition.--An Amtrak passenger shall be allowed
to place small arms ammunition for personal use in a checked bag on an
Amtrak route if the ammunition is securely packed--
``(1) in fiber, wood, or metal boxes; or
``(2) in other packaging specifically designed to carry
small amounts of ammunition.
``(i) Applicability.--Subsections (g) and (h) shall not apply in
any fiscal year in which Amtrak does not receive Federal financial
assistance.''.

"Licensed" was added by the media.

 

[vvvvvvv]

By the way, how much longer will Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) retain her "A" rating from the NRA? Here's your list of YEAS:

Alexander, Barrasso, Baucus, Bayh, Begich, Bennet, Bennett, Bingaman, Bond, Brownback, Bunning, Burr, Casey, Chambliss, Coburn, Cochran, Collins, Conrad, Corker, Cornyn, Crapo, DeMint, Dorgan, Ensign, Enzi, Feingold, Graham, Grassley, Gregg, Hagan, Hatch, Hutchison, Inhofe, Isakson, Johanns, Johnson, Klobuchar, Kohl, Kyl, Landrieu, Leahy, LeMieux, Lincoln, Lugar, McCain, McCaskill, McConnell, Merkley, Murkowski, Nelson (NE), Nelson (FL), Reid, Risch, Roberts, Sanders, Sessions, Shaheen, Shelby, Snowe, Tester, Thune, Udall (CO), Udall (NM), Vitter, Voinovich, Warner, Webb, Wicker

and the NAYS:

Akaka, Boxer, Brown, Burris, Cantwell, Cardin, Carper, Dodd, Durbin, Feinstein, Franken, Gillibrand, Harkin, Inouye, Kaufman, Kerry, Lautenberg, Levin, Lieberman, Menendez, Mikulski, Murray, Pryor, Reed, Rockefeller, Shumer, Spector, Stabenow, Whitehouse, Wyden

and the NV: Byrd

 

[Fyrtwuck]

``(i) Applicability.--Subsections (g) and (h) shall not apply in
any fiscal year in which Amtrak does not receive Federal financial
assistance.''.

So, if the feds don't support them for a fiscal year, they go back to not allowing firearms transportation.

 

[ConstitutionCowboy]

Good. We should be able to transport by all public means. As long as its done in a safe manner why not. At least they got this one right.

Yup! And, the safest place to carry a gun is on one's person!

Woody