Senate Proceeding on Jul 22nd, 2009 :: 1:11:55 to 1:20:00
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1:11:52 to 1:12:14( Edit History Discussion )

Lindsey Graham: i would yield ten minutes to the gentleman from south carolina. mr. schumer: will the senator yield for would my colleague yield for a question? mr. thune: i yielded time to the senator from south carolina and am happy to yield to a question later on the senator from new york's time.

1:11:55 to 1:20:00( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Lindsey Graham

1:12:15 to 1:12:35( Edit History Discussion )

Lindsey Graham: unanimous to be to ask a question. the presiding officer: is there objection? mr. thune: i objec the sator from south carolina has been yielded time. the presiding officer: the objection is recognized. the senator from south mr. graham: thank you, mr. president. i thought this debate went down the side of liberal versus conservative until i got to understand during the

1:12:36 to 1:12:57( Edit History Discussion )

Lindsey Graham: confirmation hearings of judge sotomayor that senator feingold is probably one of the strongest gun guys in the senate so i had to recalibrate where i stand on this issue in terms of trying to pigeon hole people. the point of the amendment, it

1:12:58 to 1:13:18( Edit History Discussion )

Lindsey Graham: shunned be o bill. we are talking about a defense authorization to protect our troops and provide them equipment they need and give them a pay raise and now we're talking about guns and hate crimes and i don't know how we got here as a body but we're here. if you had to pick a amendment to talk about that made some sense that most americans, i think, with like us

1:13:19 to 1:13:39( Edit History Discussion )

Lindsey Graham: to be talking about would be something fundamental to our country and i think most americans are a to center on an issue like this for lack of a better and most americans believe in lawful and responsible gun ownership and, quite frankly,

1:13:40 to 1:14:01( Edit History Discussion )

Lindsey Graham: that's what this is trying to bolster. i make an observation: if you take the time to get a carry permit in south carolina it, you let the law enforcement authorities know you're interested in owning a gun, you go to a most states have to be able to get the permit, or you have to

1:14:02 to 1:14:22( Edit History Discussion )

Lindsey Graham: go through whatever hps the state set up to be able to carry a weapon in a concealed fashion, you're probably not high on the list of people with wan a gun to permit a crime bec one, you would be incredibly state, hey, i have a gun. i argue that the people who go

1:14:23 to 1:14:43( Edit History Discussion )

Lindsey Graham: through the exercise of getting a concealed carry permit are the ones that you probably want to have a gun because they seem to understand the responsibility that goes with owning it. so the idea, does this make us less safe allowing nationwide makes no sense to me. i think of all the people we

1:14:44 to 1:15:05( Edit History Discussion )

Lindsey Graham: need to worry about committing gun crimes and violence, unlawfully, are the people with concealed carry permit are probably last on the list. americans do object to guns being used in the commissio crimes and a lot of states have enhanced punishment that if you use a firearm in the commission

1:15:06 to 1:15:26( Edit History Discussion )

Lindsey Graham: of a crime, you're -- your incarceration time can go up. in other words, we want to deter people from using a gun in the commission of a crime, and i think most americans agree those laws. i think the city of richmond is one of the first cities in the nation to have enhanced

1:15:27 to 1:15:49( Edit History Discussion )

Lindsey Graham: punishment for the use after weapon. it is true that some people misuse a weapon. some people misuse a car. but it is a fundamental right under our constitution, according to our supreme court, to poe seas gun. this amendment -- to possess a gun. this amendment makes sense at every level to me. if io through the process of getting the conceal carry permit in south carolina and i go to

1:15:50 to 1:16:10( Edit History Discussion )

Lindsey Graham: another state that has a similar law, i automatically get the benefit of that law, no no more than that law. i don't know what the law is about carrying a gun in central park in new york. i know this: that if you have you've got a permit to carry a gun in south carolina and you go to new york you don't have any greater rights than the people in new

1:16:11 to 1:16:33( Edit History Discussion )

Lindsey Graham: york. and i also understandhat whatever federal restrictions on gun ownership that exist are not changed by this. so this is pretty common sense to me that if someone goes through the process of getting a permit to carry a weapon in their own state, they choose to

1:16:34 to 1:16:55( Edit History Discussion )

Lindsey Graham: go to another state, they automatically get the benefit that have state's law when this comes to conceal carry. they don't get anymore. they don't get any less. and it may be less than i would have in south carolina, but because we are a group of people who travel around and visit among ourselves, this federal legislation allows us t one state to the

1:16:56 to 1:17:16( Edit History Discussion )

Lindsey Graham: the benefit of any law that may exist when it comes to conceal carry, but the precondition is that you'd have to have that permit in your own state, and you have to go thr of getting that permit -- the rigors getting that permit in your own state. whatever gun crimes are being

1:17:17 to 1:17:38( Edit History Discussion )

Lindsey Graham: committed out there they're not being committed as an overwhelming general rey the people who have goo gone throughout process of getting a weapon. i want to congratulate my friend from south dakota that you've done something that i think most americanwould agree with. you've

1:17:39 to 1:17:59( Edit History Discussion )

Lindsey Graham: public to be able to travel and get the benefit of whatever law exists in 00 state to -- in a state when it comes to carrying a gun no more, no less. this argument that people are going to start carrying weapons across the border makes no sense because whatever restrictions

1:18:00 to 1:18:20( Edit History Discussion )

Lindsey Graham: there are on arms trafficking still so at the end of the day, this legislation will help people who follow the law laws, help them be able to travel throughout the country without tripping themselves up and getting in trouble when they don't mean to get in trouble. and if you didn't have this law,

1:18:21 to 1:18:41( Edit History Discussion )

Lindsey Graham: it really is amiss. and what we're trying to do is provide some clarity to gun ownership in america. we're not enhancinghe ability to commit a crime. quite frankly, i think it's the other way. if everybody had the same attitude about gun ownership as people who get a permit, the country would be okay. we're not changing any law that

1:18:42 to 1:19:02( Edit History Discussion )

Lindsey Graham: regulates trafficking of firearms. we're not allowing criminals to get access to guns. we're simply allowing people to go through the process -- who go through the process of getting a gun in their own state to be able to travel to other states. it will make life better for them. it will make life better in

1:19:03 to 1:19:25( Edit History Discussion )

Lindsey Graham: terms i think it is a proper role for the federal government to play. it does enhance our second amendment rights. it doesn't change them in a way that makes america less it allows people who are going to do the right thing to be able to do the right thing with some knowledge as to what the right thing is.

1:19:26 to 1:19:46( Edit History Discussion )

Lindsey Graham: so, senator shie senator thune has done the country a great service. you don't have to agree with my right to carry a weapon lawfully. you may not choose that same right for yourself. but that's kind of what makes the cntry safe. great. the ability for one citizen to understand that even though wouldn't make that choice, as

1:19:47 to 1:20:00( Edit History Discussion )

Lindsey Graham: long as you make a choice responsibly, i'm going to allow you to do that. that's what thacks this a very so, with that, i yield the floor. the presiding senator from california. the mr. durbin: how much time is