Democrats pushed an assault weapons ban through a Senate committee on Thursday and toward its likely doom on the Senate floor, after an emotion-laden debate that underscored the deep feelings the issue stokes on both sides.
Exactly three months after 26 children and educators were gunned down in Newtown, Conn., the Senate Judiciary Committee approved the measure on a party-line 10-8 vote. The bill would also bar ammunition magazines carrying more than 10 rounds.
Thursday's vote marked the fourth gun control measure the committee has approved in a week and shifted the spotlight to the full Senate. Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said he will decide soon how to bring the measures to the chamber, where debate is expected next month.
"Americans are looking to us for solutions and for action," said Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt. He said that despite gun-rights advocates' claims, the Second Amendment's right to bear arms is not at risk, but "lives are at risk" unless lawmakers can figure out how to keep firearms away from dangerous people.
The other bills would require federal background checks to more would-be gun buyers, make it easier for authorities to prosecute illegal gun traffickers and boost school safety aid.
Barring assault weapons was part of President Barack Obama's plan for reducing gun violence. But banning the high-powered weapons has encountered strong opposition from congressional Republicans and elicited little enthusiasm among moderate Democratic senators up for re-election next year in GOP-leaning states in the West and South.
The measure's sponsor, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., and her supporters say the ban would help eliminate the type of firearms and magazines that have been used with deadly effect at Newtown and several other recent mass shootings. Opponents say barring the guns would violate the right to bear arms and have little overall impact because assault weapons are involved in small percentages of gun crimes.
At one point Thursday, Feinstein responded angrily after Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, asked if she would also support limiting the First Amendment's freedom of speech by denying its protection to some books.
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These morons are about to trigger a civil war and they just don't give a shit!!!
ReplyDeleteDoug
Morons, they are.
Delete.gov wants a civil war. Beats me as to why, but I guess the Stalinist commies have a death wish.
ReplyDeleteSemper Fi
I guess the Stalinist commies have a death wish.
DeleteGood.
Either they are supremely overconfidant, or they (think) they know something that we don't know. I am generating smoke in my head trying to figure out what the other angle could be.
ReplyDelete:) They say they know it will lose, but they want to do this to allow their Dems to vote against it in exchange to backing some other anti-gun bills.
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ReplyDeleteNah, nah, this gets the fighting blood up.:)
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ReplyDelete:) Reminds me of the same problem Crazy Horse had. Crazy Horse by Joseph Marshall is excellent.
DeleteThe way I view this is as follows;
ReplyDeleteThe commie bastards in power pushing us into a fight is because they KNOW, they will not be on the front lines of the fight. Were they "Front and Center, NONE of this shit would even be brought up on the Senate or House floor. Fucking cowards they are, hiding behind their lower minions to do their dirty work! I can see this not having a positive outcome in the end, I cry for my Lady Liberty and her childen.
Were they "Front and Center, NONE of this shit would even be brought up on the Senate or House floor.
DeleteAbsolutely.