As the White House was on lockdown Friday due to reports of a shooting, Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul was touting his bill to dismantle D.C. gun laws.  

“Ask the unarmed citizens of Chicago, New York, and yes, our nation’s capital, Washington, D.C., if they would feel safer with a firearm,” Paul said at the annual National Rifle Association meeting in Louisville, Kentucky. “I know I would, but the red tape is such that it’s almost impossible to get a gun in D.C.”  

His remarks occurred simultaneously as news broke of a shooting near the White House that D.C. Metropolitan Police said involved a uniformed Secret Service officer.  

[
White House on Lockdown After Shooting Reported
] According to a summary, Paul’s bill, the Defend Our Capital Act , would require D.C. to issue concealed weapons permits for both residents and nonresidents; honor such permits from other states; eliminate existing District of Columbia laws that restrict firearms and ammunition ownership; allow for firearms to be carried on public, non-sensitive areas of federal property; and allow for guns to be purchased across state lines.

At the NRA gathering, Paul recounted the “funny story” of his unsuccessful attempt to attach his bill to the D.C. spending bill .  

“The liberals were not amused,” he said “The Democrats on the committee were losing their minds, mostly because they knew if they had the vote, I was going to win. They couldn’t stand the possibility that you could have concealed carry in D.C.”  

[
Trump Touts NRA Endorsement Despite Past Views on Guns
] “I still get hateful looks from the D.C. delegate,” Paul added.

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