“I will continue to confront what happened in Orlando and attempt to propose common-sense solutions to these problems. I invite all Arkansans and Americans to join me. It is about doing what is right and making our country safer, better, and stronger.” - Conner Eldridge
Conner’s plan to combat terrorism and keep our communities safe is a balanced and comprehensive plan that takes the best ideas from leaders in law enforcement, medical community and adopts many ideas championed by both Republicans and Democrats. Conner’s plan takes step to address the immediate concerns brought to light by the tragedy in Orlando and also seeks to cure the underlying causes that are critical for us to solve to ensure a safer America. Defeat ISIS and radical Islamic terrorists.
1) Defeat ISIS and Improve Funding for Law Enforcement to Fight Domestic Terrorism
2) Preventing Terrorists from Obtaining Weapons
3) Promoting Our Second Amendment Rights of Law-Abiding Citizens
4) Strengthening our Approach to Mental Healthcare in America
5) Promote Equality & Protect our Hate-Crime Laws
I. DEFEAT ISIS AND RADICAL ISLAMIC TERRORISTS
It is explicit in our Nation’s Oath of Allegiance:
“I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic.”
Combating the threat from terrorists, both foreign and domestic, should be our nation’s top priority. Conner will fight to ensure our nation’s military, intelligence and diplomatic communities have the resources they need to eradicate ISIS and protect Americans here at home and abroad. Conner will strongly advocate for aggressive, thoughtful and comprehensive strategies to take out terrorists before they strike in the U.S., and he will fight to ensure we keep our country and our communities safe.
Conner’s plan:
Build on our global coalition to defeat ISIS and radical Islamic terrorists through overwhelming, immediate force
Fully support passage of an emergency spending bill for our military in 2017 to provide our diplomatic, intelligence and military communities the resources they need.
Secure our borders and ports to ensure we know who and what is entering this country.
Empower local and state law enforcement, ensure they have the resources to keep our communities safe, and engage leaders in all of our civic and faith communities
Promote an aggressive, unapologetic foreign policy that seeks to destroy ISIS and all radical jihadist terrorists that seek to commit harm to America, Americans or our allies.
Fully engage in foreign policy efforts in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, and throughout the Middle East, Northern Africa, and the world to ensure that we are taking bold action aimed at eliminating terror groups seeking to target America
II. SUPPORT EFFORTS BY LAW ENFORCEMENT TO FIGHT DOMESTIC TERRORISM
As U.S. Attorney, Conner reinstated and served as co-chair of the Domestic Terrorism Working Group. He led organizational and coordination efforts by the Department of justice, FBI, Department of Homeland Security and all federal law enforcement agencies involved in domestic terrorism investigations and matters.
As a U.S. Senator, Conner would seek to continue these efforts by:
Providing increased funding for all domestic terrorism prevention, investigation, and coordination efforts
Ensuring that all law enforcement agencies, including federal, state, and local agencies, are effectively communicating and coordinating, minimizing the risk that warning signs of a terrorist act are missed
Providing increased funding for a system to ensure that all law enforcement agencies are fully informed of threats and potential threats
III. CLOSE THE TERROR GAP AND STOP TERRORISTS FROM OBTAINING RESOURCES AND WEAPONS
As a former U.S. Attorney involved in domestic and international terrorism matters, Conner knows from experience that asking the Department of justice and FBI to create a system that prevents suspected terrorists from obtaining dangerous weapons is the most prudent plan. We can develop a system to prevent suspected terrorists from buying guns while protecting the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens. We can and must do more to prevent these types of tragedies, and Conner believes this is a necessary starting point.
Conner’s Plan:
i. Close the Terror Gap. We must take stronger measures to prevent suspected terrorists from obtaining weapons or explosives.
We must pass legislation to authorize our Attorney General to work with the Department of Justice, FBI and all other relevant national security and law enforcement organizations to deny weapons to any person known to be a terrorist, engaged in acts of terrorism, or providing support to terrorists; and when there is a reasonable belief that the applicant may use the firearm in connection with terrorism.
ii. Immediately create and improve the communications infrastructure between federal agencies combating global, domestic terrorism and our law enforcement communities, which are the first lines of defense against violence and domestic terrorism.
Establish a mandatory protocol that notifies the FBI and relevant local law enforcement communities when any individual who has been on the Terrorist Watch List attempts to purchase a weapon or explosives.
Provide law enforcement with better information and resources to protect our communities. This simple step will not infringe on any law-abiding citizen’s rights, but will provide law enforcement with valuable terrorist prevention tools.
iii. Mandate the system created to screen potential terrorists include due process safeguards and oversight by the Attorney General and other appropriate Judicial entities.
As a former United States Attorney, I know very well the measures taken within the Department of Justice to prevent domestic terrorism. We can create a system effectively preventing terrorists from obtaining a weapon while protecting the 2nd Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens through due process. These are not mutually exclusive ideas.
We must establish a speedy pathway for individuals who are mistakenly placed on a watch list or wrongfully denied an application to remedy the mistake
IV. PROMOTE SECOND AMENDMENT RIGHTS OF LAW-ABIDING CITIZENS & IMPROVE THE BACKGROUND CHECK SYSTEM
The Second Amendment guarantees an individual the right to protect themselves and their families. Conner holds a concealed carry permit and understands this basic right. He will fight to protect it.
Conner will oppose all attempts to ban guns in this country or any law that would keep guns out of the hands of law-abiding American citizens who want to defend themselves and their families. Conner also supports legislation to expressly prohibit a national gun registry.
We must also work together to address the problem of violence in our country. As a prosecutor, Conner worked shoulder-to-shoulder with law enforcement to investigate, arrest and prosecute those who commit violent and heinous crimes. As Arkansas’s next United States Senator, Conner will do everything he can to make our communities safer.
Conner’s Plan:
Enforce Current Laws. The laws already on the books must be enforced. Criminals who illegally use guns to commit crimes, especially violent crimes, must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
Close Terror Gap. The second critical step that we must take in unison with our effort to block terrorists’ access to weapons is to close the loopholes in our background check system that are far too often exploited by terrorists.
Improve Background Checks. We can and must improve the background check system to ensure that it works faster and better for law-abiding citizens and, at the same time, makes it harder for terrorists and felons to obtain weapons.
Mental Health Records. Ensure that all states are accurately entering mental incompetency and other records into the background check system.
Online Sales. The emergence of the Internet as a global phenomenon has created new economic opportunity and new markets for products all over the world. We can foster the growth of the opportunities these new markets provide for America’s gun and ammunition dealers. At the same time, the agencies tasked with keeping America safe can provide stability for business owners and customers by implementing a clear protocol to ensure individuals purchasing weapons online pass a modernized background check and mental health screening.
Funding for the Background Check System. Fully fund efforts to modernize the background check system, maintain it, and enforce intentional violations of it so that it is accurate, quick and workable for gun dealers, law enforcement, and law-abiding firearms owners and purchasers.
Gun Shows have a long and cherished history in Arkansas. Commerce conducted at annual or seasonal gun shows are vital to the economic bottom-lines of many individual gun dealers, hunting outfitters and numerous other industries that are connected to the outdoor community in Arkansas. Gun Shows are a part of the social fabric in Arkansas, communal gatherings of folks from every walk of life who come together to share a love of the outdoors and celebrate centuries-old traditions in the Natural State. These are traditions more-than-worthy of protecting. We can enshrine the Second Amendment and the freedoms it has afforded every American while we also act to expand an effective background check system to help ensure our gun dealers are not unknowingly selling weapons to terrorists, the severely mentally-ill or convicted felons.
Exceptions: As under current law, transfers between family, friends and neighbors should not require background checks. Law-abiding citizens should maintain the right to sell a gun to his or her brother, neighbor, or worker without a background check. No background check should be required for friends buying and selling guns so long as the sale is not supported by paid advertising on-line or in a publication.
V. STRENGTHEN OUR APPROACH TO MENTAL HEALTHCARE
“We must eliminate the stigma of identifying, dealing with, and seeking treatment for mental health issues.”
We must strengthen our nation’s approach to mental illness and find ways to improve how we diagnose and treat those affected by it. One of the most disturbing realities transcending the vast majority of violence in our country is the far-too-often undiagnosed mental illness afflicting the perpetrator. In the past seven years, 38 of the individuals responsible for mass shootings displayed signs of mental health issues prior to killings, but action was not taken.
Conner will strongly advocate for passage and implementation of the recent bi-partisan legislation approved by the Senate HELP Committee, titled “The Mental Health Reform Act of 2016.”
The goal of this legislation is to strengthen mental health parity law and interventions to improve access to mental health care by:
Ensuring mental health programs effectively serve those afflicted with mental illness.
Promote federal investment to help states meet the needs of those suffering from mental illness.
Encourage adoption of evidence-based programs and approaches to improve diagnosing and treatment of the mentally-ill as well as prevention of violence.
VI. PROMOTE EQUALITY & PROTECT OUR HATE-CRIME LAWS
We need to continue to create a society that emphasizes equal rights for all people. This is the American Dream composed of a culture that fosters a safe and prosperous community. We must eliminate discrimination against anyone because of race, religion, identity, sexual orientation, nationality or other improper reasons people target individuals for harassment or maltreatment. It means teaching our children to be tolerant, accepting, and loving of all people.
Conner’s Plan:
Ensure the Shepherd-Byrd Hate Crime Act is upheld
Support efforts to ensure all Americans are treated equally, have equal rights, and equal protection under the law.