May 20, 2020

NSSF Profile Q & A: Congressman Jodey Arrington (R –Texas)

Editor’s Note: We are pleased to post the latest of our occasional Q&A features with an elected official who supports hunting and the shooting sports. NSSF thanks U.S. Representative Jodey Arrington (R-Texas) for agreeing to talk with us.

Who introduced you to hunting/the shooting sports and at what age?

I grew up in a strong hunting culture in West Texas with a family that loved to hunt. My earliest memories are bird hunting. West Texas has one of the most prolific pheasant populations and is one of the most popular places to go pheasant hunting. I also grew up spending time with my grandfather in the Texas Hill Country hunting whitetail and axis deer. However, the first animal I ever killed was a fox with my uncle and it still hangs on the wall in my childhood home in Plainview.

What was your most recent shooting sports/hunting experience?

Most recently I was pheasant hunting in Tulia, Texas and look forward to the next chance I have to hunt wild turkey in the Hill Country. I try to work a hunt in every year.

Describe your favorite shooting sport/hunting activity? Which firearm?

Bird hunting in West Texas is my favorite, I think there is more sport to it, and I love watching the dogs work. I could actually go on a hunt and just watch the dogs; I think they are pretty spectacular. My favorite firearm is my dad’s old Remington Model 10, 12-gauge shotgun.

Which piece of pending legislation related to the firearm industry is particularly important to you and why?

The most important legislation for protecting Second Amendment rights in Congress currently is the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2019 (H.R. 38). It ensures that those Americans who can legally carry a concealed firearm in one state will legally be able to do so in every other state. It also eliminates the confusing patchwork of state laws that have ensnared otherwise law-abiding gun owners and have forced law enforcement to waste their precious time and resources. The Second Amendment guarantee is a right that should not be constrained by local and state jurisdictions.

What do you see as the challenges and opportunities for hunters and shooting sports enthusiasts in this congressional session?

Gun control advocates use mass shootings to ban certain firearms and increase government regulations, which generally puts unnecessary burdens and limitations on responsible, law-abiding citizens without restraining the bad guys. Although, the recent murders at the West Freeway Church of Christ in Texas was a great example of why protecting Americans’ Second Amendment rights is the last line of defense for protecting our families and communities against evil or unstable people hell-bent on murder… not to mention the Founder’s last check on tyranny!