NSSF Q&A: Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.)

The following is from the National Shooting Sports Foundation, which occasionally posts Q&As features with elected officials who support hunting and the shooting sports.

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

My dad first introduced me to hunting, and I think I bagged my first game when I was four or five years old. When I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me hunting with him.

What was your most recent shooting sports/hunting experience? With whom?

Duck hunting in my congressional district with some friends.

Describe your favorite shooting sports/hunting activity.

Turkey hunting in the Ouachita Mountains with my Remington 870 Express 12-gauge shotgun that my father gave to me as a high school graduation gift.

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

On the shooting sports side, it would be legalization of suppressors so that shooters can better protect their hearing (Hearing Protection Act, H.R. 155). With access to suppressors, more people can enjoy shooting with less recoil, and more people will be able to participate. Another issue I’m working on with the Natural Resources Committee is making sure our public lands remain just that: public, so that everyone has places to hunt and shoot. Over the past decade, the number of recreational shooters has dropped drastically due in part to restricted access to public lands.

---

What do you see as the challenges and opportunities for hunters and shooting sports enthusiasts during the current Congressional session?

Education on the issue is both a challenge and an opportunity. Arkansas is one of the best places in the country for shooting sports, and I hope our state can be a model for safe, responsible firearm usage.

#GUNVOTE 2020: Help Drive Voter Registration

NSSF is urging all industry businesses to download and display NSSF's #GUNVOTE® icon on their company websites and incorporate #GUNVOTE messages in their social media campaigns.

National Shooting Sports Foundation aims to promote, protect and preserve hunting and the shooting sports. Formed in 1961, NSSF has a membership of thousands of manufacturers, distributors, firearms retailers, shooting ranges, sportsmen's organizations and publishers nationwide.