House GOP files gun bill discharge petition
By Mike Soraghan
Posted: 07/24/08 12:29 PM [ET]
Republicans on Thursday filed a discharge petition to bring a gun bill to the House floor, putting pressure on conservative Democrats to buck their leadership on the issue.
Rep. Mark Souder (R-Ind.) filed the petition to bring to a vote a bill by Rep. Mike Ross (D-Ark.) that would erase many of the District of Columbia’s gun laws. Sounder’s move is a follow-up to the recent Supreme Court ruling rejecting the District’s gun ban.
The National Rifle Association plans to use House members’ willingness to sign the discharge petition in their scoring for this year’s election. Conservative Democrats who don't sign it could lose their “A-plus” ratings.
Supporters think they have a good chance of getting the bill to the floor because 250 House members, including 65 Democrats, signed an amicus curiae brief to the high court calling for the repeal of the handgun ban. Ross’s bill has 247 co-sponsors, including 56 Democrats.
Democratic leaders acknowledge that there could be a lot of support for the bill among their members.
Asked if the discharge petition would succeed, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) told reporters, “I didn’t say it wouldn’t. I didn’t say it would.”
But he indicated that many of the Democratic co-sponsors would not sign a discharge petition, which leaders and many members consider a sign of disloyalty.
Hoyer and Rep. John Tanner (D-Tenn.) are trying to work with members to try to forge a compromise on the issue.
