The Hill News

Tea Party Republican Rep. Joe Walsh (Ill.) pledged Tuesday night that he will be a “cheerleader” for gun rights in Congress, and pushed for a concealed-carry permit in his home state of Illinois.

“The Second Amendment is incredibly important & it is embarrassing that IL is last state standing when it comes to concealed carry,” Walsh tweeted on Wednesday.

“The most important amendment in that Bill of Rights is the Second Amendment,” Walsh said Tuesday in remarks published by Chicago’s Daily Herald. “It protects every other amendment. It is the last line of defense between us and our government.”
Rep. Randy Hultgren (R-Ill.), whom Walsh plans to challenge in the next primary election due to Illinois redistricting, also attended the town-hall-style meeting Tuesday night in a Chicago suburb. Hultgren has also advocated for a concealed-carry permit in Illinois, most recently after a concealed-carry bill was defeated by the Illinois Legislature in May.