The Senate passed H.R. 2137, the Federal Law Enforcement Self-Defense and Protection Act, which will give federal law enforcement officers the ability to carry their government-issued firearms and credentials during periods of a government shutdown or furlough.

The Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association (FLEOA) initiated this legislation following the last government shut down, when some agencies were uncertain about the carry authorities for federal law enforcement officers. This new law clarifies a federal law enforcement officer's authority to retain his or her firearm carry capability regardless of the government's status to ensure they may protect and defend themselves if necessary.

"This legislation, conceived by FLEOA, has been an organizational priority from the moment we heard about the disarming of federal agents nearly three years ago," said FLEOA National President Nathan Catura. "This issue has never been about shutdowns or firearms, but about the absolute necessity of ensuring the safety of our members and their families. While we celebrate the passage of H.R. 2137, the fact that one member of the U.S. Senate held this legislation hostage for four weeks after its unanimous passage by the House of Representatives, and then attempted to kill the bill with poison pill amendments, cannot and will not be overlooked."

Catura continued, "FLEOA is grateful for the strong support and leadership of Rep. Doug Collins and the many members of the House and Senate, and their staff who worked with us to ensure congressional passage of H.R. 2137. In particular, I wish to personally thank House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, House Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte and Ranking Member John Conyers, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn, Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley and Ranking Member Patrick Leahy, and Senators Orrin Hatch and Roy Blunt for their commitment to this important legislation. I look forward to the President signing this much-needed legislation into law."

About FLEOA

The Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association (www.fleoa.org) is the largest nonprofit, nonpartisan professional association that exclusively represents over 26,000 active and retired federal law enforcement officers from over 65 agencies.