Dems shelving assault weapons ban for now
Updated at 3:55 p.m. ET
Citing the minimal support for legislation that would ban assault weapons, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said today that he would leave the proposal out of the gun violence bill he'll bring to the Senate floor. Instead, the assault weapons ban will be offered as an amendment to the bill, along with several other less popular ideas.
"I have said time and time again I want people to have the ability to vote on assault weapons, mental health, safety in schools, federal trafficking, clips -- everything," Reid told reporters this afternoon. "But I cannot do that until I get a bill on the floor."
Reid explained that he'll need to find a bill to bring to the Senate floor that has at least 60 votes of support -- enough to bypass a Republican filibuster and start debate. Once debate has started on that bill, the Senate can vote on amendments, such as the assault weapons ban authored by Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif.
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Feinstein's legislation passed through the Senate Judiciary Committee last week, but Reid explained today that it wouldn't clear the filibuster hurdle.
"Right now her amendment, using the most optimistic numbers, has less than 40 votes. That's not 60," he said. It's more likely, Reid added, that he would bring to the floor one of the background check proposals currently in the works.
Before a background check bill could be used as the main legislative vehicle, Democrats and Republicans would have to resolve some sticking points -- specifically, they would have to resolve concerns from members on both sides of the aisle who do not want to create a national gun registry.
Besides the background check legislation, Reid could use other proposals such as an anti-trafficking bill that passed out of Judiciary Committee with bipartisan support.
Feinstein expressed her disappointment with Reid's decision to CBS News today, saying, "You know the enemies on this are very powerful. I've known that all my life, my adult life in the political arena certainly."
When asked, however, whether keeping the assault weapons ban out of the bill could make it easier to pass the rest of the legislation, Feinstein said, it "very well might."
"I'm certainly going to vote for all areas of it. It's not a problem for me," she said. "But then we face the wonderful House of Representatives, too."
There are 53 Democrats in the Senate, as well as two independents who caucus with the Democrats, but some of them are expected to join Republicans in opposing Feinstein's proposal.
"The worst of all worlds would be to bring something to the floor and it dies there," Reid said. "People deserve a vote on things they feel so strongly about."
The Senate leader said he would bring a gun bill to the floor "as soon after Easter as i can."
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All firearm are military type weapons. Where have you been for the last 200 years. Every firearm you say you own has military roots but you don't know it because I don't think you really own anything. If you did you would have known that.
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That statement may only be true with respect to various periods of time throughout history, when and wherever multi-national armed conflicts were ongoing. It's not necessarily true with certain kinds of guns that were "uniquely American" during the certain points in time they were invented, or during conflicts that although involving territorial and federal officials on our soil, were not considered war with a wholly "foreign" enemy.
The "Brown Bess" was a military weapon, but in today's times nobody would recognize it as such. Many of them were later taken off the hands of British loyalists and sympathizers here on our soil, not all by those who fought as revolutionaries against British soldiers, in the period of the American Revolution.
The same can be said of double barrel shotguns, with respect to "militias".
At one time they might've been used in an armed conflict, not necessarily to mean that a formal military and its members ALWAYS had made use of them during such.
One type of gun, a very early 8 shot revolver rifle made by Patent (later, "Colt"), is an example of a rare kind of firearm that was not truly based on earlier types of long guns with rifling from the first couple of decades in the 1800's. It is an example of a sportsman's gun that gave significant rise to other, later firearms that were used by lawmen, pioneers and frontiersman alike, not all of whom were in the role of using their weapons for a paramilitary or government purpose.
Well your BA that you earned 20+ years ago does not give you credibility on the subject. Retired Air Force, well thank you for your service.
As a gun owner, I am in favor of reasonable rules and regulations. And I have yet to hear a compelling argument for citizens to own military-type weapons.
It will take more tragedies and more years before any real action is taken.
A single barrel shotgun or 22 rifle is a "military style weapon"???
moron
Also, high capacity magazines can be banned. Such a ban would not conflict with the 2nd Amendment. If lead shot can be banned so can high capacity magazines.
to change their ways.lol
So I suppose you wackos need your guns to protect yourself from tyranny. What country are you from? Do you know what the second amendment says? And if you think your toys are going to protect yourself from the government, you are smoking better stuff that I have ever seen.
Of course I am not a drug user so the smoking of stuff bit I will have to pass on commenting on.
OK, OK, you must live in rabbit mode all day, eating the fresh grass that your government provides, with not a care in the world.
"Gun Free House"
I dare ya!
HAR!