Anti-Gun Legislation DOA, Says Democrat
From The Hill ~ Gun-rights supporters in the Democratic Party are putting to rest any doubt over who holds sway in Congress with a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder warning him not to try to reinstate an assault-weapons ban.
Sixty-five Democrats signed the letter, a show of force with implications for several other issues, including a bill to grant the District of Columbia a vote in the House.
“Now we know there are 65 pro-gun Democrats,” said Rep. Mike Ross (D-Ark.). “When you add up all the pro-gun Republicans and the pro-gun Democrats, that or any other anti-gun legislation is DOA.”
He added, “You could safely assume we’d also have the votes on the D.C. issue.”
Republicans and the National Rifle Association want to add an amendment to the D.C. voting rights bill that would wipe out most of the District’s gun laws. The bill is stalled by the fear that the NRA would go after any centrist Democrat who votes for a procedural motion to prevent the addition of the gun amendment.
D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty has said District residents might accept the gun provisions in exchange for getting voting rights in the House. But that provoked a split with the District’s delegate, Eleanor Holmes Norton (D), who rejects any notion of giving in on the gun issue.
Likewise, gun-rights supporters in the Democratic Caucus have shown no willingness to buck the NRA on the D.C. bill issue, according to leadership aides.
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), who is shepherding the bill for leadership, has said he’s “hopeful” he can schedule a vote on the bill by the end of next week. He said including the NRA-backed gun amendment is “part of the discussion.”
But the bill would still face severe obstacles even with the gun amendment. Despite the addition, Republicans won’t vote for D.C. voting rights, which they claim to be unconstitutional. Unless Norton urged them to support it, most liberals and members of the Congressional Black Caucus would vote no. The “no” votes of Republicans, liberals and CBC members would likely sink the bill.
Beneath the surface, however, some shifts can be detected. The measure of pro-gun support in the Democratic Caucus last year was the 65 Democrats who signed an amicus brief in a lawsuit to toss out the District’s handgun ban.
Twelve Democrats who signed the amicus brief didn’t sign the Ross letter. Both were heavily promoted by the NRA. But another 12 freshman Democrats — about one-third of the freshman Democrats — replaced them on the list.
Rep. Ike Skelton (D-Mo.) sent a similar letter to Hoyer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).
The pro-gun support also has implications for the appropriations process, where Democratic leaders will have to decide whether to continue Republican riders that called for the rapid destruction of information the government collects on gun purchases. And gun-control groups are interested in passing a bill that requires background checks on gun purchases made at gun shows.
Sixty-five Democrats signed the letter, a show of force with implications for several other issues, including a bill to grant the District of Columbia a vote in the House.
“Now we know there are 65 pro-gun Democrats,” said Rep. Mike Ross (D-Ark.). “When you add up all the pro-gun Republicans and the pro-gun Democrats, that or any other anti-gun legislation is DOA.”
He added, “You could safely assume we’d also have the votes on the D.C. issue.”
Republicans and the National Rifle Association want to add an amendment to the D.C. voting rights bill that would wipe out most of the District’s gun laws. The bill is stalled by the fear that the NRA would go after any centrist Democrat who votes for a procedural motion to prevent the addition of the gun amendment.
D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty has said District residents might accept the gun provisions in exchange for getting voting rights in the House. But that provoked a split with the District’s delegate, Eleanor Holmes Norton (D), who rejects any notion of giving in on the gun issue.
Likewise, gun-rights supporters in the Democratic Caucus have shown no willingness to buck the NRA on the D.C. bill issue, according to leadership aides.
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), who is shepherding the bill for leadership, has said he’s “hopeful” he can schedule a vote on the bill by the end of next week. He said including the NRA-backed gun amendment is “part of the discussion.”
But the bill would still face severe obstacles even with the gun amendment. Despite the addition, Republicans won’t vote for D.C. voting rights, which they claim to be unconstitutional. Unless Norton urged them to support it, most liberals and members of the Congressional Black Caucus would vote no. The “no” votes of Republicans, liberals and CBC members would likely sink the bill.
Beneath the surface, however, some shifts can be detected. The measure of pro-gun support in the Democratic Caucus last year was the 65 Democrats who signed an amicus brief in a lawsuit to toss out the District’s handgun ban.
Twelve Democrats who signed the amicus brief didn’t sign the Ross letter. Both were heavily promoted by the NRA. But another 12 freshman Democrats — about one-third of the freshman Democrats — replaced them on the list.
Rep. Ike Skelton (D-Mo.) sent a similar letter to Hoyer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).
The pro-gun support also has implications for the appropriations process, where Democratic leaders will have to decide whether to continue Republican riders that called for the rapid destruction of information the government collects on gun purchases. And gun-control groups are interested in passing a bill that requires background checks on gun purchases made at gun shows.
Labels: 2nd Amendment, Eric Holder, Friends of NRA, Ike Skelton, Mike Ross, Obama's Gun Control Agenda, Steny Hoyer
posted by Mike McCarville @ 11:17 AM
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