During a July 23 interview on the Lars Larson Show, Senator
said that in June he “submitted an amendment” to the 2016 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) “to give military base commanders the authority to allow service members to carry personal firearms.”
That was weeks before the heinous attack on Chattanooga, but he says the amendment went nowhere because Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman
“didn’t want the amendment as part of the bill and wouldn’t accept it.”
On July 21–just 5 days after the heinous attack in Chattanooga–Senator Heller re-introduced his amendment and asked “that National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) conferees include [it]” so our troops can be armed for self-defense.
Heller sent a letter to Chairman McCain and the members of the Armed Services committee, saying:
I encourage all conferees to look at my amendment, along with the language passed by the House, as a reasonable and effective way to move forward on this issue and give our nation’s base commanders the authority they need to create a safer environment for our heroes serving across America.Never should the men and women serving at home have to be afraid that the base they work, and often live, on is not safe.
