Armed Pilots Provision Adopted as Part of Airline Security Bill

Congratulations!

In the face of initially scathing opposition from gun-haters in Congress, you — through tens of thousands of letters, e-mails, post cards, and petitions — have forced the Senate and House to adopt modified language to allow pilots to carry firearms in the cockpit for the defense of themselves and their passengers and crew.

A last-minute intervention by Senator Bob Smith (R-NH) was also successful in defeating an “eleventh hour” effort by anti-gun zealots to limit the provision to stun guns.

The aviation security bill, with the armed pilots amendment, passed in final form in both the Senate and the House today. It will now go to the Oval Office for President’s signature.

The language is not perfect. The Undersecretary of Transportation and the airlines have the theoretical ability to mount a last-ditch effort to block the implementation of this armed pilots provision.

But with strike threats by airline pilots and the overwhelming support among the general public for arming pilots, it is likely such opposition will be overcome.

Make no mistake about it: powerful anti-gun interests in the Senate worked vigorously behind the scenes to defeat this provision. They fought as hard as they could to water it down. And it was only through your hard work that we were able to defeat their attempts to disarm pilots.

So, congratulations! And thanks! Your efforts have struck a mighty blow toward making the American skies safe again!