Gun control fight entering final round in Senate

Senate lawmakers this week are beginning what appears to be their final push to pass gun control legislation in response to the deadly massacre at a Newtown, Conn., elementary school in December.

On Wednesday, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., is chairing a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the "Assault Weapons Ban of 2013," which she introduced last month. The following day, the Judiciary Committee plans to consider the assault weapons ban, which would also ban high-capacity ammunition magazines, as well as three other bills. 

The assault weapons ban is seen as having virtually no chance to get through Congress. The decision by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., to nonetheless consider it in committee signals that the Senate is taking a piecemeal approach to passing gun control legislation, rather than trying to pass a comprehensive bill. That's because the assault weapons bill, which has a good chance to clear the committee, would almost certainly drag down the other gun control legislation if it were part of a comprehensive package presented to the full Senate. Feinstein herself acknowledged this week that her bill faced "very tough" prospects on the Senate floor.

The other gun control bills scheduled to be taken up Thursday are a Leahy-backed measure to combat illegal arms trafficking; a bill sponsored by Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., focused on school safety; and a bill mandating universal background checks sponsored by Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.  

Because Judiciary Committee rules allow any senator to ask for a one-week delay, it is likely the markup will be postponed until March 7. (A spokesman for the ranking member of the committee, Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, said in a statement that no decision had been made but that "there are some shenanigans going on" because a final version of Schumer's bill has yet to be introduced.) The Judiciary Committee will put together final versions of the bills and vote on them, and the Senate leadership can then decide how to bring them to the Senate floor for consideration.

Schumer has been working with Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., and two other senators to reach compromise on the background check bill. The parties have reached an impasse over the issue of whether gun sellers should be forced to keep a record of gun sales.

By law, the federal government must destroy evidence of background checks within 24 hours - otherwise, some argue, the government would have a de facto federal gun registry. Schumer thus argues that sellers should be required to maintain a record of the sale.

The idea is that if a gun is used in a crime and is traced to the seller, the seller would be able to produce a record of the transaction. That incentivizes the seller to perform the background check. That's because he would be in trouble if he sold the weapon to someone who the government could show would have failed a background check.

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Jim Kessler of the centrist-Democratic think tank Third Way, who was formerly with Americans for Gun Safety, called the records "critically important."

"It is very difficult to enforce a universal background check law without being able to ask someone to prove that they did the background check," he said.

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[donnyleon]

If our founding fathers had access to military grade weaponry, they would certainly have it. We are not talking about the guns we hunt with to put food on the table. We are talking about guns to protect ourselves against rioting looters and governments that would move to take our liberties away.

We are already being disarmed by the government's purchase of 1.6 Billion rounds of ammunition. 450 Million of which are hollow point bullets. They have cornered the market. In my area, ammunition prices have increased over 300% if you are lucky enough to find it at all. This in addition to 7,000+ fully automatic rifles and 2,700+ retro fitted MRAP's. None of these government purchases are for the military. They are for use on US soil. But if you are okay with the government using your tax dollars to stockpile all of this hardware for use against you, you are of course entitled to your opinion. At least for now.

petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/immediately-investigate-federal-government-stockpiling-ammunition-and-demand-equal-sharing/bSy44fpx

[JarrodtheNuetral]

Here is the real issue: People not taking responsibility for there actions. Instead they would rather blame society. Why? Lack of accountability. If the boy was troubled, why did his parents do nothing? Why did they not teach him that killing is wrong? POOR PARENTING.
This whole thing is an attempt to demonize gun owners, because the Government doesn't want the Constitution anymore.Why? It gets in the way of them padding their wallets. If they take away the right to bare arms, it would be easier for them to do anything they please. Sounds like what happened to Germany Pre-WWII.
I would like to point out that I am an Independent, a gun enthusiast, a gamer, card collector, and a fishermen. I am not at all connected with either majority party.
Also I would like to point a few things, our current President has broken several amendments, and international laws. The one I am going to bring to your attention is the use of drones as strike weapons. It is a war crime by the Geneva Convention.
Also in failure to provide legitimate documentation of US citizenship to a committee of citizens when asked to present his legality, he handed of a fake. FRAUD and Usurping the Presidency.
Also constant and repetitive failure to protect and serve the people of the United States, by the following: Lack of response to the Benghazi incident, Breaking numerous articles of the Constitution(treason), for not doing the general duties of the President, and for out right lying to the citizens of the USA, Prison time.
For using numerous tragedies, and yes Bush you're next, to achieve a personal or political agenda. That we will just say is a crime against humanity.
(All politicians)For the Illegal use of Federal and Public Office for personal gain.
I would like to ask him and all involved," How do you plea?" However I do not know where to aim the question.

[knsn_for_cmn_sense]

Slow. Did that preadamic bs that people are spewing around here pop up when the bible thumpers decided that they couldnt refute evolution any more? Do you know the history on that crap?

I think these guys could make up a story to make 2+2=5 if they thought the fact that 2+2=4 was counter to their "faith"...

Sounds like something Fred Phelps would embrace.

[knsn_for_cmn_sense]

yup. Thats what I thought.

Fred justifies his actions on the bible. Just like Dan.

[knsn_for_cmn_sense]

ha ha!

"God hates figs"

And I do too.

[dhouston121]

Dann,

In order to have faith, you first need to know religion. You have proven you don't know religion. "For GOD so loved the WORLD, that he gave his only begotten son...." God loves the entire world and all the races in it. If you really want to get technical, Jesus was not white, he was Mediterranean.

[knsn_for_cmn_sense]

OMG.... I think I need to review ... things...

Something ODD.... Just happened.

Introspection occuring!

[TimeToEvolve]

It is the small genitaled gun yahoo extremists that are causing us to severely regulate their toys. They have no one to blame but themselves.

[knsn_for_cmn_sense]

All you talk about is other peoples tools.

I think there is something very funny about you. A little light in the loafers if you know what I mean.

[dhouston121]

Are you talking about yourself again TimeToEvolve?

[ajmg111]

So if Eric Holder sells arms to the Cartel in Mexico, is he required to do a background check. And if he does not, is he responsible for actions taken with the guns he sells?

[sandy 1027]

After yesterday's heart-breaking testimony from the father of one of the children killed at Newtown; and the sobering testimony of others about the carnage that assault weapons create, those opposed to any significant legislation were sure to throw up roadblocks because they didn't want to be on record as voting against sensible proposals and face the public's backlash.

[TimeToEvolve]

It is pretty obvious that since we can't seem to get our society to be civilized by funding public education, health care for ALL citizens including mental health care and other critical social programs, WE HAVE NO CHOICE but to seriously regulate guns and the nuts who have them.

[bfatz]

BLOW ME sound real appropriate for this thread.