Senate Gun Control Debate

[The Teacher]

The Senate debate on gun control proposals began this morning. Here is a link to the video:

http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/SenateSession5086

 

[The Teacher]

And they're back at it again this afternoon. Here's the live video:

http://www.c-span.org/Live-Video/C-SPAN/

and the link for after it airs:

http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/SenateSession5087

 

[mxl]

I didn't take time to view the videos, but I am wondering if the Boston tradgedy will emphasize that taking guns out of the picture will not stop senseless killings.

 

[morcey2]

Blumenthal just claimed that the VA Tech shooter purchased guns from local stores without having to go through a background check. That's already illegal. Why do we need another law for that?

Matt

 

[PRM]

Boston was tragic... but the gun control issue is getting almost zero coverage right now. Does anyone really think the liberals are not working feverishly on that front. The senate has been given a lot of anonymity by the media not covering anything else.

 

[wojownik]

The Senate discussion is at http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/312160-6

I think the other link goes to unrelated House debate

 

[ngnrd]

At 1:36:00 in the morning session, Dick Durbin quoted Scalia in the Heller decision, claiming that background checks have been found to be Constitutional. However, the quote he read on the floor specifically states that:

conditions and qualifications on the commercial sale of arms are presumptively lawful

Does Durbin not understand what the term "commercial sale" means? Because, I'm pretty sure it doesn't mean the same thing as the term "private sale".

 

[morcey2]

Once they ban private sales, his assertion is correct. :banghead:

 

[InkEd]

Concealed means concealed. Commercial means commercial. Private means private.

I think the media is going to use the Boston Marathon bombing to try and keep the gun grabbing quite. Obama backers have implied/said that Tea Party/Patriots/Right Wing Extremist are probably responsible. (Which is funny because the only person even questioned to my knowledge was a hospitalized Saudi National.)

 

[AlexanderA]

The term "commercial sale" apparently has a specific meaning for purposes of the Manchin-Toomey provision. That is, it's a gun sale by a non-licensee (non-FFL) that involves public advertising (such as being listed on the Internet or exhibited for sale at a gun show). A "non-commercial sale" would presumably not involve public advertising, such as a transaction between family members or friends, and this would be exempted from the background check requirement.

If these "commercial sales" were done as a regular course of business, the sellers would still need to get FFLs. So the Manchin-Toomey proposal only really applies to people making occasional sales in public venues, such as at gun shows or online. How big a part of the market this is, is an open question.

 

[ngnrd]

Even if that limited definition of private sales were true, the preamble that sets the tone of the bill is this:

To ensure that all individuals who should be prohibited from buying a firearm are listed in the national instant criminal background check system and require a background check for every firearm sale, and for other purposes.

So, on its face, the INTENT of the legislation is to capture ALL sales, not just the commercial sales referenced in Heller.