Desertdog
Member
Gun legislation dead in Congress this year
Senate Republicans abandon gun bill after losing assault weapons, gun show votes.
March 03, 2004
http://www.syracuse.com/search/index.ssf?/base/news6/1078306821159460.xml?syrnecay
Washington - Senate Republicans scuttled their election-year gun legislation Tuesday after Democrats succeeded in winning approval of amendments to extend an assault weapons ban and require background checks on all buyers at private gun shows.
The 90-8 vote against the bill handed Democrats and gun control advocates an unexpected victory in the GOP-controlled Congress. It all but eliminated any chance for gun legislation this year.
"Twenty-four hours ago, I knew of no one who would have said we would be sitting where we are right now," said Mike Barnes, president of the Brady Campaign gun-control group. "The NRA's highest legislative priority was just defeated."
Beginning in September, the gun industry can resume making, importing and selling military style semiautomatic weapons that were outlawed a decade ago. Nonetheless, Democrats say they now have the Senate on record as supporting the assault weapons ban by a 52-47 vote even though Republican leaders have vowed they won't allow the House to consider it this year.
"Now we know we have our vote and we will come back," said Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif. "If we can't get it done by Sept. 13, then you can be sure it's going to be in the presidential campaign as a bona fide issue as to whether the American people want AK47s, street sweepers and Uzis sold once again."
The National Rifle Association, a political juggernaut because of its 4 million members, e-mailed senators in both parties just before the final roll call urging them to vote against the bill after Democrats succeeded in adding the gun-control measures to the GOP-written legislation.
A week ago, the bill preventing lawsuits against gun manufacturers and distributors because of gun crimes had 75 senators ready to vote for it.
"While wewill continue to work to save the U.S. firearms industry, we have said from the start that we would not allow this bill to become a vehicle for added restrictions on the law-abiding people of America," NRA Vice President Wayne R. LaPierre Jr. wrote in the e-mail. "Given this fact, we oppose final passage ... and will fight this issue another day."
Republican senators said they also may attempt to revive the gunmaker-immunity bill. "We will see if we have enough time to get it out this year," said Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, the bill's sponsor who was forced to vote against his own legislation because of the amendments.
Democratic senators were grudgingly prepared to accept the gunmaker immunity bill if they could get their two amendments along with it.
"The immunity bill was a terrible bill," said Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y. "We're better off at the end of the day than we were at the beginning of the day."
Several Republican senators voted for one or both of the gun show and assault weapons ban amendments, enabling minority Democrats to change the GOP's bill. At their weekly caucus luncheon, Republican senators were told to sit tight until the NRA decided whether it would support the bill with the two Democratic amendments.
After waitingfor a couple of hours, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., one of the maverick Republicans, said he was told the NRA wanted a no vote. "I voted yes," he said, beaming.
On the final roll call, only two other Republicans voted for the bill: Sens. George Voinovich of Ohio and Richard Lugar of Indiana. Democrats who voted for the final package were Minority Leader Tom Daschle of South Dakota and Sens. Mark Pryor of Arkansas, John Breaux of Louisiana, Joe Lieberman of Connecticut and Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas.
Underlining the importance of Tuesday's events to next fall's election, presidential contenders John Kerry of Massachusetts and John Edwards of North Carolina broke away from the campaign trail to cast their first Senate votes of the year in support of the Democratic amendments.
The gunmaker-immunity package was an election-year priority for the White House, congressional Republicans and other conservative groups as well as the NRA. All contend the gun industry is being sued out of existence for making a legal product, though gun manufacturers have yet to lose a lawsuit.
Senate Republicans abandon gun bill after losing assault weapons, gun show votes.
March 03, 2004
http://www.syracuse.com/search/index.ssf?/base/news6/1078306821159460.xml?syrnecay
Washington - Senate Republicans scuttled their election-year gun legislation Tuesday after Democrats succeeded in winning approval of amendments to extend an assault weapons ban and require background checks on all buyers at private gun shows.
The 90-8 vote against the bill handed Democrats and gun control advocates an unexpected victory in the GOP-controlled Congress. It all but eliminated any chance for gun legislation this year.
"Twenty-four hours ago, I knew of no one who would have said we would be sitting where we are right now," said Mike Barnes, president of the Brady Campaign gun-control group. "The NRA's highest legislative priority was just defeated."
Beginning in September, the gun industry can resume making, importing and selling military style semiautomatic weapons that were outlawed a decade ago. Nonetheless, Democrats say they now have the Senate on record as supporting the assault weapons ban by a 52-47 vote even though Republican leaders have vowed they won't allow the House to consider it this year.
"Now we know we have our vote and we will come back," said Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif. "If we can't get it done by Sept. 13, then you can be sure it's going to be in the presidential campaign as a bona fide issue as to whether the American people want AK47s, street sweepers and Uzis sold once again."
The National Rifle Association, a political juggernaut because of its 4 million members, e-mailed senators in both parties just before the final roll call urging them to vote against the bill after Democrats succeeded in adding the gun-control measures to the GOP-written legislation.
A week ago, the bill preventing lawsuits against gun manufacturers and distributors because of gun crimes had 75 senators ready to vote for it.
"While wewill continue to work to save the U.S. firearms industry, we have said from the start that we would not allow this bill to become a vehicle for added restrictions on the law-abiding people of America," NRA Vice President Wayne R. LaPierre Jr. wrote in the e-mail. "Given this fact, we oppose final passage ... and will fight this issue another day."
Republican senators said they also may attempt to revive the gunmaker-immunity bill. "We will see if we have enough time to get it out this year," said Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, the bill's sponsor who was forced to vote against his own legislation because of the amendments.
Democratic senators were grudgingly prepared to accept the gunmaker immunity bill if they could get their two amendments along with it.
"The immunity bill was a terrible bill," said Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y. "We're better off at the end of the day than we were at the beginning of the day."
Several Republican senators voted for one or both of the gun show and assault weapons ban amendments, enabling minority Democrats to change the GOP's bill. At their weekly caucus luncheon, Republican senators were told to sit tight until the NRA decided whether it would support the bill with the two Democratic amendments.
After waitingfor a couple of hours, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., one of the maverick Republicans, said he was told the NRA wanted a no vote. "I voted yes," he said, beaming.
On the final roll call, only two other Republicans voted for the bill: Sens. George Voinovich of Ohio and Richard Lugar of Indiana. Democrats who voted for the final package were Minority Leader Tom Daschle of South Dakota and Sens. Mark Pryor of Arkansas, John Breaux of Louisiana, Joe Lieberman of Connecticut and Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas.
Underlining the importance of Tuesday's events to next fall's election, presidential contenders John Kerry of Massachusetts and John Edwards of North Carolina broke away from the campaign trail to cast their first Senate votes of the year in support of the Democratic amendments.
The gunmaker-immunity package was an election-year priority for the White House, congressional Republicans and other conservative groups as well as the NRA. All contend the gun industry is being sued out of existence for making a legal product, though gun manufacturers have yet to lose a lawsuit.