On May 15, the Senate rejected a bill to loosen firearm regulations on campsites and other lands managed by the Army Corps of Engineers. Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) opposed the bill, claiming that allowing more guns would set “up a national security threat” that “endangers people.”
The bill, sponsored by by Senator Tom Corburn (R-OK), garnered 56 votes–just four shy of the 60 needed to pass.
It would have loosened firearms restrictions on “12 million acres that abound in lakes, rivers, campsites, and hiking trails.”
Currently, guns are allowed in these areas for hunting and target shooting, but the guns have to be unloaded while in transport to these activities. Corbun’s bill would have allowed guns on such lands for “any legal purpose.”
According to Fox News, Boxer said allowing more guns on Corps property “would increase danger to dams, flood control systems, and other crucial water projects.” She added, “This critical infrastructure is a target for terrorists,” and loosening firearm restrictions on it “sets up a national security threat.”
Corburn said he will keep reintroducing the bill until it passes.
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