WASHINGTON — With members of Congress fretting about their security after a shooting at baseball practice last week, one Texas lawmaker has a new suggestion: Let them carry guns anywhere.

Rep. Brian Babin, R-Woodville, introduced a bill Tuesday that would allow certified members of Congress to carry concealed personal firearms “in nearly every scenario,” with a few exceptions, such as the White House and other secure sites.

Noting that the baseball practice shooting — which wounded Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana and four others — could have been worse if not for two Capitol Police officers on the scene firing back, Babin described his legislation as “an important and necessary step.”

"The tragic events of last week make it clearer than ever that we need to take steps to enable Members of Congress to protect themselves," Babin said in a written statement.

U.S. Rep. Brian Babin, R-Port Arthur (U.S. Congress)

Members would be able to use their office budgets to pay for training to be able to carry guns under Babin’s proposal. And the new law would supersede any other state or federal laws that prevent the lawmakers from carrying guns.

Babin and other Texas Republicans have long supported “reciprocity” policies that would enable anyone who has a concealed carry license in one state to carry in other states. But as Democrats continue to resist those efforts, Babin proposed the bill to introduce the possibility for members to gain the right to carry firearms anywhere.

Far from reversing their positions on gun control, many Republicans said the shooting only strengthened their resolve that, as the old saying goes, “the only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.”

Several Republicans, including Rep. Chris Collins of New York, said they would start carrying guns while working in their districts as a result of the shooting.

"We understand that we are accountable to our constituents, and we welcome respectful, civil criticism," Collins said in an op-ed about the move. "But all of us — including our families, our staffs and their families — expect and deserve to be safe from harm."

Rep. Roger Williams, who injured his ankle during the baseball practice when he dived into the dugout to hide from the gunman, pushed back on calls for gun control in Fort Worth on Saturday.

"He had rifles, he had guns, pistols. All we had were bats and balls," the Austin Republican said. "Frankly, if we would have been able to carry arms, it might've been a little different."

The shooting happened in Virginia, which has an open carry law for handguns, meaning members could have brought firearms to the field. But stricter gun laws in the District of Columbia present logistical issues when going to and from work at the Capitol.

Groups that back gun control policies immediately pushed back on Babin’s proposal, calling it “ludicrous.”

“It’s a bad idea for members of Congress for the same reason that it’s a bad idea for anyone,” said Kristen Rand, the legislative director for Violence Policy Center, citing the risks of unintentional shootings, misuse of deadly force, or the weapon getting into the hands of a child or criminal.

Shannon Watts, the founder of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, described the idea as “another dangerous NRA proposal that would decimate our public safety laws” and suggested that Republicans were using it as a “first step” toward a broader loosening of gun restrictions.

Scalise was shot while on the field, where it would be unlikely that he would carrying a gun. And the gunman's use of a rifle meant that lawmakers would have had to find him before being able to fire back.

But Rand said she was not surprised that lawmakers who have supported gun rights in the past stuck by those stances after becoming targets in a shooting.

“The knee-jerk reaction of the gun lobby and people who support gun rights is always that more guns is the answer,” Rand said. “If that were the answer, we wouldn’t be seeing increasing gun death rates like we’re seeing right now."