Senate blocks expanded gun sale background checks

[bigfutz]

A story from AP Mobile:
Senate blocks expanded gun sale background checks
WASHINGTON (AP) - Senate Republicans, backed by a small band of rural-state Democrats, turned away legislation Wednesday to tighten restrictions on the sale of firearms, rejecting repeated appeals from President Barack Obama and personal pleas by families of the victims of last winter's mass elementary school shooting in Newtown, Conn. Attempts to ban assault-style rifles and high capacity ammunit...
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[11B3XCIB]

Huge news, for sure.


Failed 54-46 - Manchin - background checks substitute
Failed 52-48 - Grassley - background checks substitute
Failed 58-42 - Leahy - firearms trafficking
Failed 57-43 - Cornyn - concealed carry reciprocity
Failed 40-60 - Feinstein - assault weapon ban
Failed 56-44 - Burr - veterans' firearm disabilities
Failed 46-54 - Lautenberg - magazine capacity limit

Any idea how Lindsey Graham voted?

 

[fordnut]

He said all along he was Pro 2nd Ammendment...Guess he was telling the truth...

Steve

 

[11B3XCIB]

I would like to be able to carry in all 50 states but I don't think it should be granted in an amendment...it's a right we are being denied as it is. I wonder what other compromise was packed into that amendment that would take stuff away from us.

 

[armaborealis]

I would like to be able to carry in all 50 states but I don't think it should be granted in an amendment...it's a right we are being denied as it is. I wonder what other compromise was packed into that amendment that would take stuff away from us.

Here's the summary of how it went down.

The base bill (S649) includes a "Universal Background Check" written by Sen Schumer that basically makes you a felon for owning a gun, as well as harsh "gun trafficking" penalties that turn tools from the drug war on gun owners.

Manchin-Toomey stripped out the Schumer UBC and replaced it with a slightly less onerous background check, gutted FOPA's safe travel provisions, continued to allow the AG to build a registry of some FFL records (those that had gone out of business, for example), and in exchange let us buy handguns from an FFL across state lines.

Grassley stripped out the Schumer UBC and replaced it with what looks like an optional system that lets a buyer hit up a DOJ website and printout a ticket that says they are not prohibited. It would also let any background check requirements be satisfied with a CWP or other method of showing a background check. There were tons of other goodies in this amendment for us like elimination of multiple gun reporting, gun purchases across state lines, actual good mental health provisions (rather than traps for vets and gun owners) like funding for real treatment, etc. It was endorsed by Sen Ted Cruz (TX) who is legitly one of the most pro-2A members in the Senate right now (he "stands with Rand" Paul on this issue and others...). This looks like a good solid amendment.

Leahy was updated and expanding trafficking language to put us in jail.

Cornyn was clean, good national CCW reciprocity with no "easter eggs." It did not set any federal training standards and just mandated that states accept any other state's CCW permit and treat it as a "unrestricted" highest level permit they issue (for places like NY with restricted permits).

Feinstein was a crappy AWB even worse than the 1994 version. Because the Sen Majority Leader voted for it and it failed, it is dead-dead for this session and should not be coming back.

Burr was a good clean bill helping with veterans issues. Sen Schumer's comments before this bill came up for a vote were particularly horrendous to vets. He clearly has zero respect for the military.

Lautenberg was an arbitrary mag ban. Because the Sen Majority Leader voted for it and it failed, it is dead-dead for this session and should not be coming back.


Up tomorrow are one or two more amendments, perhaps a revote, and the final vote on the base bill, which will need 60 votes to reach cloture and end the filibuster, which I doubt very much it has. I suspect that Sen Reid will instead pull the bill altogether and postpone a final vote indefinitely. Additionally, except for the AWB and mag bag, any other amendment can come back at any time for reconsideration. If Reid does this, if the final bill is in limbo and along with many amendments it can get trotted out again after the next mass shooting.

 

[11B3XCIB]

Thanks for the summary. I've unfortunately been out of the loop with a lot of this due to post-op recovery. No excuse, really, to keep current on important events, but it's what I'm working with.

I wonder if tomorrow is an early vote...

 

[PCShogun]

I had read some of the legislation and not all of it was bad. The problem is that so much gets crammed into these bills that half the time you no longer know what they are voting on.

 

[John Canuck]

Feinstein was a crappy AWB even worse than the 1994 version. Because the Sen Majority Leader voted for it and it failed, it is dead-dead for this session and should not be coming back.

Unless someone else that voted against changes their mind and moves to reconsider.

 

[HarperJt]

Armaborealis great write up

 

[crystalphoto]

An email from Lindsey Graham on how he voted:


Dear Friends,



President Obama wanted three things on gun control -- to ban assault weapons, limit magazine sizes, and expand background checks. Fortunately, he lost on all three.



I?ve always been confident if the Senate debated the Second Amendment, the Second Amendment would win.



Yesterday, the Senate took up, debated, and voted on gun violence legislation. I am very pleased we had this debate, and was always ready and willing to vote in support of what I believe.



Here?s how I voted yesterday:

Voted Against the Manchin-Toomey Background Check Amendment (Failed 54-46, required 60 votes)
No matter how well-intentioned, the Manchin-Toomey amendment expanded background checks in an unwise way. The internet provisions would have been burdensome and difficult for citizens to comply with. In addition, it contained provisions making advertising a firearm in a community or church bulletin subject to the same processes as if buying from a licensed dealer.

Introduced and Voted in Support of the Grassley-Cruz-Graham Substitute Amendment (Failed 52-48, required 60 votes)
I was very proud the Grassley-Cruz-Graham amendment received a majority vote. I hope the House of Representatives will take up this bipartisan legislation which focuses on ensuring people like Alice Boland are in the National Instant Criminal Background (NICS) system. The legislation included important provisions for school resource officers. It holds the Department of Justice accountable for the gun laws they have not enforced. It was supported by the National Rifle Association and provided real-world practical solutions to the problem of gun violence. I strongly encourage the U.S. House of Representatives to take up and pass our legislation.

Voted Against the Feinstein Amendment Banning Assault Weapons (Failed 40-60, required 60 votes)
The assault weapons ban didn?t work in the 1990s and it won?t work now. I, along with millions of other Americans, own an AR-15. Only a fraction of the murders committed in the country involve any type of rifle and the Feinstein assault weapons ban does not address the real problems of gun violence.

Voted in Support of the Cornyn National Conceal-Carry Reciprocity Legislation (Failed 57-43, required 60 votes)
I voted for this amendment because it would allow a person with a valid state-issued concealed firearm permit to carry in other states that do not prohibit concealed carry.

Voted Against the Lautenberg-Blumenthal Amendment Limiting Magazine Size (Failed 46-54, required 60 votes)
One bullet in the hands of a homicidal maniac is one too many. But in the case of a young mother defending her children against a home invader -- a real-life event which recently occurred near Atlanta -- six bullets may not be enough. Criminals aren?t going to follow legislation limiting magazine capacity. However, a limit could put law-abiding citizens at a distinct disadvantage when confronting a criminal.



Yesterday, we saw that President Obama's politically-driven solutions to gun violence could not withstand scrutiny from Congress and the American people. Substance won out over the unsound solutions President Obama and others were pushing.

Sincerely,

Lindsey O. Graham
United States Senator

 

[Avtomat-Acolyte]

This is not a victory.

It is merely the absence of (yet another) defeat.

 

[Tigerstripe]

have you seen the news media being so offended by the decision?

 

[John Canuck]

have you seen the news media being so offended by the decision?

I can't recall a time when the media, hollywood and politicians were so outraged by something all at once. It's kinda strange. From a gun control perspective, the Schumer Toomer was weak. It did very little of what they wanted, yet had they got it passed in the Senate (knowing it was going no where in the house anyway) they would have been having parades. When they failed and the flood of tears started, you would have thought the "compromise" was what they were after all along.

 

[Tigerstripe]

exactly.

what i saw was sickening.

saying the NRA is stronger than 90% of the people. :?:

 

[11B3XCIB]

have you seen the news media being so offended by the decision?

I'm tired of people like her and Obama, who call Americans (citizens and politicians alike) who do not support their agenda "spineless" or "cowards". It just further proves the legislation was ramrodded through on emotional tides rather than actual merit. They voted what they felt was right....it takes more backbone to do that than to just go with the flow.

 

[armaborealis]

This is not a victory.

It is merely the absence of (yet another) defeat.

Gun grabbers are easily startled, but they will be back, and in greater numbers. :lol:

Seriously. Avtomat is right. We need to seize the initiative. One way to do that is at the state level. Pushing through good pro-gun legislation in SC is feasible. How many people on this board have contacted their SC state senator about restaurant carry? I know not everyone is onboard with Constitutional Carry, but Restaurant Carry is good common sense legislation unless you think it is reasonable for someone to become a prohibited person for life for CCWing into Chipotle. S308 (Restaurant Carry) comes back up on the floor on Tuesday. Email or call your state senator this weekend!

At the federal level it will be tougher as the Dems hold a majority in the Senate and hold the Presidency, and the GOP in the House is not leading on the issue. So, first off, send your Senators a thank you email, postcard, or phone call. Let them know you were watching and appreciate their strong stance. I thought Sen Graham would be tempted to RINO out once Sen McCain did but he stood strong. Moreover, ask that they tack on pro-gun measures whenever they can. CCW Reciprocity made it within 3 votes of getting passed this time -- that needs to be attached to every piece of "must pass" legislation in Washington until we get it, and force the Pres to decide if he'll veto something critical like the budget or NDAA, or sign it. S480 is still a good bill for us that actually fixes problems and deserves support so that is worth mentioning too.

We need to stay vigilant on defense. The gun grabbers can resurrect many of these proposals after the next mass shooting and try to ram them through when emotions are high. I personally am very pleased with NRA's no compromise position and am budgeting out a few bucks every month to feed the NRA-ILA. I am also redoubling my involvement with the RWVA/Appleseed. There are lots of other ways to stay vigilant. We all need to find ways to keep an eye on what is going on and keep gun owners engaged so they don't slip something through.

Finally, in 2014 there needs to be serious backlash. If gun grabbers are not punished then they will learn they can push this stuff with no consequences. If your local, state, or federal reps are antigun get the word out and see if you can help them find a new line of work. Outside of SC, Colorado has a decent chance of flipping back to pro-gun but they need money. Obviously NRA-ILA is a good way to help out if you just want to write a check. Finally, just to our north, NC's Senators voted for gun control. I'm sure that our brothers and sisters across the state line would appreciate help working tables at gun shows (voter registration, NRA signup, etc etc), campaigning, etc in 2014. We need gunowners to turn out in mass and "throw the bums out" at every level of government -- clean house and send a strong message.

 

[Avtomat-Acolyte]

This is not a victory.

It is merely the absence of (yet another) defeat.

http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs...additional-executive-actions-guns_718027.html

See.

Vice President Biden told White House allies in the gun control fight Thursday that President Obama will be announcing new executive actions on gun violence in the days after the Senate voted down a gun violence bill.

On a conference call with "stakeholders," Biden told gun control advocates that the fight is not over and that eventual action on gun control will come. Press were not invited to the conference call; a participant provided BuzzFeed with access.

"Look I know you're going to say that I'm just being an optimist and I'm trying to put a good face on this. But you know I've been around here a long time and we've already done, because of you, some really good things," Biden said. "Number one, the president is already lining up some additional executive actions he's going to be taking later this week."

After the Newtown shootings, Obama took a number of executive actions to expand research into gun violence and other areas favored by the gun control community. He took the actions without Congressional approval, leading to outrage by some conservatives.

 

[John Canuck]

I was in the process of writing a blog about why the gun grabbers failed, when this guy beat me to it. He's a lefty, but he gets it right. It's a good read.

http://www.scgunblog.com/Home_Page.html

 

[LiveFreeorDie]

I was in the process of writing a blog about why the gun grabbers failed, when this guy beat me to it. He's a lefty, but he gets it right. It's a good read.

http://www.scgunblog.com/Home_Page.html

Long read (anything comprehensive usually is) but excellent. I will be sharing the article. Thanks for posting it.

 

[bigfutz]

Gun grabbers are easily startled, but they will be back, and in greater numbers. :lol:

:lol: I caught your Obi Wan reference!