Opinion
North Carolina –-(AmmoLand.com)- The first time I spoke to Senator-elect Ted Budd, back in 2016, I called him to apologize. It was his first run for Congress, and my organization had supported his opponent in a Republican Primary because I didn’t think Budd could win.
I was wrong. Not only did Ted win that Primary, but also the General Election that followed. I have never again made the mistake of underestimating him.
Representing North Carolina’s 13th Congressional District, Budd has won every race since. On November 8, he beat former N.C. Supreme Court Chief Justice Cheri Beasley in the race for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Richard Burr. In our “purple” state, the race was a pivotal Republican hold, decided by only 3.54 percent of the vote.
Budd’s Record On Gun Rights
In Congress, Rep. Budd has compiled a perfect 100% pro-gun voting record, including being one of only two of North Carolina’s eight Republican congressional representatives to vote against H.R. 4350 (“National Defense Reauthorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022”) because it contained “red flag” gun confiscation measures for military personnel.
Thanks to leftist U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the 2021-2022 session alone saw no fewer than twelve gun control votes. Not only did Budd vote right every time, but he also co-sponsored H.R. 6817 (“No Backdoor Gun Control Act of 2022”), H.R. 6945 (“No Retaining Every Gun In a System That Restricts Your Rights Act”), and H.R. 6247 (“Protect the Second Amendment Act”), giving him the single best gun rights record among North Carolina’s congressional delegation.
Incidentally, H.R. 6945 resulted from a congressional FOIA request to the BATFE – also signed onto by Rep. Budd – which revealed that the agency is compiling an illegal gun registry containing nearly one billion records.
My organization, Grass Roots North Carolina (GRNC), uses arguably the most sophisticated, objective Second Amendment candidate evaluation system in existence. We compile survey scores, gun votes, bill sponsorship, and chamber leaders’ willingness to move relevant bills, all of which are inputted into a database that estimates the percentage of the time a given candidate can be expected to concur with a control group of conservative gun owners.
A candidate who agrees at least 90% of the time gets the highest 4-star (****) evaluation, those who agree at least 80% of the time earn a 3-star (***) evaluation, etc. Rep. Budd not only earned a GRNC 4-star evaluation but is the only N.C. congressional representative to achieve a perfect 100% concurrence with the control group.
Ted Budd’s support for the Second Amendment comes from more than politics. He is the owner of ProShots gun range in Rural Hall, North Carolina. And as you can see from the video of him shooting steel at our “Ring Steel for Freedom” fundraising event, he knows his way around a handgun. (At that event, he also reminded us that he became a GRNC Life member long before contemplating a run for office.)
Character Counts
As a measure of Budd’s character, I offer this: Early this year, GRNC invited Ted to headline the above-mentioned event, and he accepted. But about two weeks before the event, we got “Trumped” (literally), when Donald Trump decided to hold a huge rally to endorse Budd for his Senate run … on the same day, at the opposite end of the state.
So, I waited for the call from his campaign saying they had to cancel. (And I can’t say I would blame them if they had.) But when the dreaded call came, it wasn’t to cancel, but instead to ask if we could move Ted’s speech earlier in the agenda to allow him time to drive to a nearby airstrip and hop a flight to the Trump event. When I thanked Ted for not canceling, he shrugged as if it was no big deal and said, “I made a commitment.”
Budd is a Christian conservative who has won endorsements not only from Donald Trump but also from the National Border Patrol Council, Lt. Governor Mark Robinson (an outspoken Black conservative I hope to make our next Governor), and other prominent conservatives.
I usually say you get about two good terms out of a politician before being called “The Honorable” goes to his head, especially if he becomes a U.S. Senator. I have yet to see any sign of that arrogance from Ted Budd, who remains a guy that says what he means and does what he says.
Q&A with Senator-elect Ted Budd.
Q: First, let me offer thanks for agreeing to an interview for AmmoLand News – something I feel certain your predecessor, Richard Burr, would not have done. Why don’t we start with your broad views on the Second Amendment – why do you think it exists, what makes it relevant more than 230 years after it was drafted, and what you believe are protected activities?
A: The Second Amendment codifies the preexisting right to armed self-defense. Our founders knew that our rights do not come from the government. Government exists to protect the rights God has given to each person. Some of the founders thought a Bill of Rights was not necessary because the federal government had limited enumerated powers. Thankfully, many in the states—including North Carolina—had the foresight to demand a Bill of Rights to enshrine these fundamental rights. We in North Carolina can be especially proud of this accomplishment. North Carolina was the twelfth state to join the United States because it refused to do so until the First Congress passed the Bill of Rights. Shortly after joining the United States, North Carolina was the third state to ratify the Bill of Rights. Our forefathers’ advocacy has erected a bulwark to protect gun rights even as the federal government’s powers have massively expanded beyond their original scope.
The Second Amendment should be understood and enforced based on its original public meaning when it was ratified in 1791. I am grateful that the Supreme Court has adopted this view through the Heller and Bruen decisions and that the amendment applies to the states through the Fourteenth Amendment.
Q: My recollection is that as a businessman, you didn’t start out in the gun industry. How did you come to acquire ProShots?
A: In 2010, I was approached by a friend regarding the purchase of a bankrupt gun range in Rural Hall, NC, for a local police department to conduct firearms training. When I took over the range, the police were my first and only customers. Later, the training officer told me, “Never underestimate the need of the public to have a safe place to shoot.” It was on his advice that we opened the range to the public. The store’s motto is: “Helping our community responsibly enjoy firearms.”
Q: Earlier this year, both Republican Senators from North Carolina, Richard Burr and Thom Tillis, voted for S. 2938, the first relatively major gun control bill to pass Congress in recent years. Tillis even helped draft it. When it got to the House, you voted against it. I apologize for putting you on the spot with respect to the senior Senator from your state, but I’m sure AmmoLand News readers would like to hear your perspective on the bill and the “compromise” by which it passed.
A: The goal of legislation around the Second Amendment should be keeping guns out of the hands of dangerous people without infringing on the rights of people who obey the law. The Senate bill contained some worthy provisions that fund mental health resources and improve data in the NICS system. It also had money for school safety, though it specifically prohibited funding to purchase weapons or pay for weapons training. But the bill will not markedly improve safety. I attempted to improve the bill with several amendments boosting due process safeguards, providing free counsel to persons subject to red flag proceedings, and also to revise D.C.’s draconian gun laws to comply with the Bruen decision.
Unfortunately, all five of my amendments were rejected by House Democrats. I could not support this legislation because I am concerned that it will infringe on law-abiding citizens’ Second Amendment and due process rights.
Q: Speaking of “compromise,” we often hear that “politics is the art of compromise.” I hold with Ayn Rand, who said: “In any compromise between food and poison, it is only death that can win. In any compromise between good and evil, it is only evil that can profit.” But compromise is what politicians often look for, and the RINO factor looms large in Congress. You will be under a lot of pressure from the party leadership to compromise, possibly on gun issues. What can we expect you to do under those circumstances?
A: I make decisions based on my principles, regardless of pressure or influence.
Justice Clarence Thomas outlined the correct approach to “compromising” the Second Amendment. His opinion in Bruen explains that the Second Amendment was “the very product of an interest balancing by the people,” so further balancing or compromising by Congress and the courts is inappropriate. The proper test is whether there is a historical analog to the new regulation—and that is on the government to prove. This is the right approach to the Second Amendment and is now binding on the courts. I will never vote for a bill that places unconstitutional limits on gun rights.
On a personal note, my grandfather was born in 1890. He had a saying that has grown into our family’s motto down through the years. And that’s “Just do what you say you’re going to do.” It’s that simple. That’s how I’ve operated throughout my life, and that’s the way I serve. And that’s how I approach these issues.
I told people that I would stand up for Second Amendment rights, and that’s what I am going to do.
Q: Sorry to put you on the spot again, but let’s talk about Mitch McConnell. He managed to win Senate Minority Leader again but, to put it mildly, he is not universally loved among conservatives. Any idea what we can expect from him, particularly given Senate Republicans’ collusion with Democrats on S. 2938?
A: I certainly hear the frustration, but at the end of the day, we do agree on the majority of our principles. Like most families, Republicans will have our family fights, but the differences between us pale in comparison to the radicalism of the modern Democrat party. One major thing that Senator McConnell has accomplished is putting conservative judges in our courts that have defended the Second Amendment rights of all Americans.
We need to be united to stop the radical agenda of the Democrat Party and make life better for all Americans.
Q: Finally, please tell us what gun rights supporters can expect from Senator Ted Budd.
A: Someone who stands up for what is right, never will support any infringement on the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens, and someone who will keep his word to the people of North Carolina.
Do we have a gun rights leader in the Senate?
In closing, I generally don’t endorse politicians. As a 28-year gun rights operative, I can honestly say that I have met few who are trustworthy. Most of those don’t make it far in politics precisely because they are trustworthy.
Despite my skepticism, however, Ted Budd appears to be an exception. I have placed my trust (and a lot of GRNC PAC money) behind him to be a leader for our rights in the U.S. Senate. I suggest you do the same. His campaign is at: www.tedbudd.com
About Paul Valone
Author F. Paul Valone has been kicking leftist tail for twenty-eight years. Alarmed by the U.S. House passage of the “assault weapon” ban in 1994, he decided to take action. Finding no suitable organization, he organized a rally leading to the creation of a 501(c)(4) organization, Grass Roots North Carolina (GRNC), which remains North Carolina’s primary and most successful gun rights group to this day.
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