Two Republican lawmakers are hopeful that expanded concealed gun carry legislation will get signed by President Donald Trump, the Washington Examiner reported.
After years of getting stonewalled by a Democratic White House, John Cornyn, R-Texas, is working a bill from the Senate and Richard Hudson, R-N.C., one from the House called concealed carry reciprocity — states recognizing gun permits from other states, the Examiner reported.
As it stands, some states do, some don't, and 41 have partial reciprocity laws.
It's a bill fully endorsed by the National Rifle Association, one of several the gun lobby has in it sights to get passed by a unified Republican Congress and White House.
The lawmakers also know it's not a front-burner issue compared to healthcare and tax reform and are biding their time.
"This will not be an issue we deal with in the first 100 days. My goal is to have this signed into law by the end of this Congress," Hudson told the Washington Examiner. "I hope we can move this through the House much quicker than that, but I'm patient."
The two bills have minor differences that need to get ironed out and then, eventually, the end product would need support from Democrats, too.
"Well, I bet Sen. [Joe] Manchin will be for it," Cornyn told the Examiner, referring to the West Virginia Democrat. "We need to have a conversation with the rest."