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'Shame on us!': House passes gun-control package to address mass shootings but it's likely to die in the Senate
Recent mass shootings have House Democrats pushing the most sweeping set of gun-control bills considered by Congress in decades.
www.usatoday.com
In a package of six bills being debated Thursday, Democrats want to ban what they described as "weapons of war."
Their legislation would:
- Raise the minimum age to buy semi-automatic rifles from 18 to 21.
- Ban high-capacity ammunition magazines.
- Bar the sales of "ghost gun" kits without a background check or serial numbers stamped on the parts.
- Increase penalties for illegal "straw purchases" of guns.
- Require gun owners to safely store their weapons, especially when children are present.
If Congress can't pass this package of bills after 23 years of mass shootings in schools, she said. "Shame on us! We can move legislation now."
Republicans say the proposed measures are an attack on the Second Amendment.
"Democrats are always fixated on curtailing the rights of law-abiding citizens, rather than trying to understand why this evil happens," Jordan said. "Until we figure out the 'why,' we will always mourn losses without fixing the problem."
Democrats say their measures are widely supported by the American public and they won't back down until they pass.
"Time after time, you have put your right to kill over our right to live," Rep Mondaire Jones, D-N.Y., said to his Republican colleagues.
A passionate debate
Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., said the Uvalde shooting was "beyond a tragedy," but he disagreed with the Democratic package of bills.
The idea that disarming Americans, who lawfully and legally own guns, will produce a safer country is "simply not true," he said.
Jordan accused Democrats of trying to dramatically change the country, which prompted a strong retort from Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif.
"If trying to make sure that no more kids are put in the ground with a Superman coffin means dramatically changing the country, guilty. That's why we're here," Swalwell said. "Why aren't you trying to dramatically change the number of dead kids going into the ground, Mr. Jordan?"
Swalwell then asked a question more generally to fellow committee members: "Who are you here for – the kids or the killers?"
Comments from Jones and Swalwell prompted a passionate response from Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas.
"I don't think that it's very effective for the children to have people on the other side of the aisle come in and accuse Republicans of being complicit in murder," Gohmert said.
The idea that Republicans support the gunman "is an outrage," he said. "How dare you! You think we don't have hearts?"
Republicans oppose the legislation because they think Democrats have bad ideas, not because they support murderers, he said.
Gohmert pointed to high murder rates in Democratic-led cities, including Philadelphia, prompting a response from Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon, D-Penna.
Pennsylvania's Republican-led legislature for decades has blocked city leadership from passing the type of gun-safety laws now being considered by the Judiciary committee, she said.
"We are not helpless here. We can change this," she said. "We can pass gun violence prevention laws that are constitutional and save lives. All it takes is political courage – a willingness to put American lives above gunmaker profits."
Scanlon said the legislation before the House Judiciary Committee is not about being pro-gun or anti-gun.
"It's about desperately needing to stop gun violence," she said.
What Republicans want
Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., pushed for fewer restrictions, not more.
He advocated for his "Safe Students Act" – a reboot of legislation first introduced by then-Rep. Ron Paul, R-Ky., in 2007 that would repeal the Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990.
The act would make it easier for school boards, state and local governments to set their own firearms policies – such as arming teachers.
"Banks, churches, sports stadiums and many of my colleagues in Congress are protected with firearms," Massie said. "Yet children inside the classroom are too frequently left vulnerable."
Rep. Steve Chabot, R-Ohio, was one of many GOP members who said the mental health crisis should be addressed more and teachers should be trained better to spot troubled students who might carry out mass shootings.
Biggs called for more retired military and police to protect schools and deter people from "committing heinous crimes" in schools.
"Do not insult Americans by advocating to arm teachers and guidance counselors and librarians, when many of our schools don't have enough money to hire guidance counselors or librarians or enough teachers," Scanlon said.
What's likely to pass
Democrats are expected to move the package of bills to the House floor for a vote late next week.
The House will also vote on separate bills from lawmakers who have experienced gun violence: a "red flag" bill from Rep. Lucy McBath, D-Ga., whose son was a victim of gun violence a decade ago; a bill that would allow states to enact their own red flag laws from Rep. Salud Carbajal, D-Calif., whose sister used a gun to kill herself.
Red flag measures allow police or family members to petition a court to issue extreme risk protection orders authorizing them to temporarily confiscate firearms from a person who may present a danger to others or themselves.
[ b]All the bills are expected to pass the House because of the Democratic majority, but are unlikely to pass the Senate, where Republicans can block gun legislation and have indicated they will not support major gun reform.[/b]
Sens. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Chris Murphy, D-Conn., are leading a bipartisan group of senators in negotiations on a narrower gun-control package than House Democrats.
The senators' plans would focus on red-flag laws, mental health and school safety.
Majority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said the Senate would start debating the bills when lawmakers return from recess next week.
