EXCLUSIVE: Hudson talks gun legislation and NRCC priorities

US Rep. Richard Hudson, R-NC09, chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), spoke with the Carolina Journal about several pieces of gun legislation he recently introduced and the priorities of the Republican caucus in the US House of Representatives. Hudson spoke to constituents at Family Traditions Gun Range in Burlington last week concerning his “Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act” and the “Protecting Privacy in Purchases Act.” 

Gun Legislation

“Concealed carry is important because the law-abiding citizens are trying to do the right thing, trying to be safe, but are still vulnerable to becoming criminals because they crossed the state line, maybe even unwittingly or not knowing about it, and it’s just because there’s such a hodgepodge of different state laws,” Hudson told the Carolina Journal. “So, it’s really about protecting those law-abiding citizens. We should focus our law enforcement, particularly when it comes to guns and gun violence, on the criminals. I think in the same way that trying to prevent states from being able to ban gun sales or create registries of gun purchasers again is just about protecting the rights of law-abiding citizens.”

The “Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act,” which was introduced in early January, is bipartisan legislation that would provide nationwide reciprocity for concealed carry license holders. The “Protecting Privacy in Purchases Act” would ban merchants from using the Merchant Category Code (MCC) to track lawful sales at gun stores. 

“I feel very hopeful that now is the time to get that done,” said Hudson. “’The Protecting Privacy in Purchases Act’ is really important because there are some liberal states that want to track gun purchases, and I believe it’s for nefarious purposes. I think they either want to do a gun registry, or maybe they want to eventually get to the point where they can outlaw gun sales completely, and I don’t want to give them the tools to do that. There’s no reason to single out gun purchases, so both are very important to gun owners.” 

This isn’t the first time Hudson has introduced his concealed carry reciprocity bill; he had introduced it several times before, including six years ago when he was able to get it out of the House but was unsuccessful in getting the Senate even to hold a hearing on the bill. He indicated that he felt confident that with US Sen. John Thune, R-SD, as the new Senate majority leader, he would be able to whip the votes in the Senate and that President Donald Trump would sign the bill. 

Hudson told the Carolina Journal that because Trump campaigned on this issue and spoke about it during his rallies in North Carolina, he feels confident about getting the bill passed. 

“I know he’ll sign the bill,” continued Hudson. “But the real difference maker is the Senate; we’re going to need Democrats in the Senate to vote for it, but more importantly, you need a Senate leader who will bring it to the floor of the Senate. And I believe John Thune is that person (…) I know he’s someone who supports it, and so I think everything’s aligned now.”

Hudson feels confident that, under Thune’s leadership, he can finally acquire the votes in the Senate to pass the bill and send it to the president’s desk. Additionally, Hudson mentioned that US Sen. John Cornyn, R-TX, also has a companion bill in the Senate. 

“I think between Thune and Cornyn, now is the time,” said Hudson.

NRCC Priorities

Hudson reflected on past midterm elections, noting the backlash Republicans faced in 2018 following Trump’s first election in 2016. Hudson also discussed the Republican caucus’s most widely supported initiatives and addressed concerns about the potential loss of the House in 2026. He told the Carolina Journal that Republicans’ top priority is cutting spending, followed by securing the border and unleashing American energy.

“I think cutting spending is a top priority for us. I think making sure that the ‘Trump tax cuts’ don’t expire, which would, in effect, be the largest tax increase in American history,” said Hudson. “Those are two major priorities for every Republican in Congress.” 

Hudson explains that there is disagreement about how to cut spending, how much to cut, and where to cut. While there are a variety of opinions on this, the differences will be resolved through the reconciliation bill. Each committee and jurisdiction will write its part of the bill, and vigorous debate will take place. Ultimately, he believes the caucus can come together and achieve its’ goals.  

“Those are our No. 1 (cut spending) and No. 2 (ensure tax cuts don’t increase) goals,” continued Hudson. “Then I think it’s secure the border, and then I think it’s unleash American energy so we can drive down inflation and see this American Renaissance that President Trump talks about.”  

The Carolina Journal asked Hudson if he was concerned about a repeat of the 2016 and 2018 elections — when Trump won his first term as president, followed by midterms in which Republicans suffered significant losses. This pattern is often seen with midterm elections, with a backlash against the administration in power. Hudson explained that he believed that 2026 would be very different from 2018 for several reasons, including the political landscape looking different than in 2018 and the fact that the American people are now familiar with Trump. In contrast to 2018, Republicans have a lot of opportunities to pick up seats, whereas Democrats would have to flip strongly Republican districts to pick up seats.

“I think the other difference is that in 2018, you had a new president. During the first midterm, the American people were still getting to know President Trump,” concluded Hudson. “This time around, the American people know who he is. They know what he stands for; they overwhelmingly chose him over Kamala Harris for that reason; and I just think the dynamics of the first term don’t really apply.” 

The post EXCLUSIVE: Hudson talks gun legislation and NRCC priorities first appeared on Carolina Journal.