Democrats divided over gun control strategy

Senate majority leader Charles SchumerChuck SchumerOvernight Health Care: Senate confirms Levine to HHS, first openly transgender officer | Progressives increase pressure on Biden to support COVID vaccine patent waiver | The former chief of Operation Warp Speed ​​was dismissed on charges of sexual harassment. The Mississippi Republican Party senator says it is wrong to vote on Sunday for religious reasons. (DN.Y.) needs to unify its caucus on gun control legislation, one of the top Democratic priorities, but it already faces several problems.

Centrist Sen. Joe ManchinJoe Manchin’s Morning Report The Hill – Biden leans heavily on gun control. Democrats plan to squeeze the GOP over the obstruction. (DW.Va.) says that a background check project approved by the Chamber goes too far, while other colleagues, such as Sens. Dianne FeinsteinDianne Emiel Feinstein California’s director of public radio news loses father in Boulder by shooting Feinstein calls for a ban on assault weapons after Boulder shot Cruz accuses Democrats of ‘ridiculous theater’ in proposals after mass shootings. MOST (D-Calif.) E Ben CardinBenjamin (Ben) Louis CardinCotton: Democrats’ infrastructure project will focus on higher taxes, ‘Green New Deal’ Business groups are looking to extend the PPP as the March deadline approaches. Sanders signals he hopes to use reconciliation for infrastructure MORE (D-Md.), They are pushing for a ban on assault weapons and restrictions on high-capacity magazines, controversial proposals that would be difficult for moderates to support.

Any arms control measure would need 10 Republican votes to pass, another serious obstacle to doing something.

Arms control legislation would not be eligible for the special budget route known as reconciliation and would therefore need 60 votes to overcome an obstruction. Democrats control only 50 seats and are not even guaranteed to keep all their caucus unified.

Even after two mass shootings in Boulder and Atlanta, there is strong resistance among Republican senators to expand the background check requirements for arms sales and transfers.

Republicans like Sen. John CornynJohn CornynOVERNIGHT ENERGY: Supreme Court refuses to hear challenge to Obama’s marine monument designation | Interior reverses course on tribal ownership of part of the Missouri River White House climate adviser meets oil and gas companies Senate Republican Party rejects list of participants at Sinema oil and gas leasing forum, Cornyn asks Biden to use ‘full authority’ at the border MORE (Texas) say they are willing to require background checks for all commercial arms transactions, but that is far from what most Democrats want to do.

Democrats say Republican calls to limit background checks to “commercial” sales will leave many transactions uncovered.

Manchin said on Tuesday that he did not support a bill passed by the House to expand background checks to include all individuals who would buy or transfer firearms. He wants an exemption for transfers between friends and family.

Sen. Jon TesterJonathan (Jon) TesterSenate panel discusses financial regulators’ climate agenda Fighting obstruction looms as Biden leans forward for Democratic senators to call on the CDC to increase the accessibility of vaccine programming for the elderly MORE (D-Mont.) On Wednesday he said he was also concerned about the House bill’s requirement for background checks for transfers or sales between family members.

Manchin says he will resume negotiations with Sen. Pat ToomeyPatrick (Pat) Joseph ToomeySasse scolded by the Nebraska Republican Party over the impeachment vote Republican Party Commissioner Philly on censorship: ‘I suggest that they censor lying Republican elected officials’ censored by various county Republican Party committees from Pennsylvania because of the impeachment vote MORE (R-Pa.) In its joint proposal unveiled in 2013, which would require background checks on weapons sold on the Internet or at gun shows, but would exempt sales and transfers between friends and family.

An emerging concern for Democrats is that Manchin says he wants to focus on commercial sales.

Manchin said on Wednesday that “it has been a long time” to implement what he called “common sense” reform.

“Background checks are the most reasonable approach, I believe,” he said. “I always said that.”

Manchin said he will speak to his former partner, Toomey, and Sen. Chris MurphyChristopher (Chris) Scott MurphyDems plans to squeeze the Republican Party through obstruction New shootings plunge Biden and Congress into the gun control debate Biden faces pressure to end the media blackout at border facilities MORE (D-Conn.), One of the leading advocates of tougher gun control laws.

Several other Republican senators have expressed a willingness to consider expanding background check requirements, including Sens. Susan CollinsSusan Margaret Collins The Hill’s Morning Report – Biden leans heavily on gun control Congress wonders how to pay for Biden’s infrastructure proposal, Vivek Murthy, confirmed as general surgeon MORE (R-Maine), Mitt RomneyWillard (Mitt) Mitt RomneyVivek Murthy confirmed as general surgeon Press: What Biden could have taught Obama Trump intensifies activities and claims power within the GOP MORE (R-Utah), Rob PortmanRobert (Rob) Jones PortmanTrump allies line up before potentially hard-hitting primaries Vivek Murthy confirmed as surgeon general Biden leads a sales campaign for the state of Ohio MORE (R-Ohio), Todd YoungTodd Christopher YoungBipartisan House bill would revoke decades-old war authorizations House panel to resume the 2002 war authorization revocation in the ‘next weeks’ Senate homage film ‘Hoosiers’ MORE (Bark.).

“I have long supported the Manchin-Toomey proposal, without violating the rights of law-abiding Americans, to change and close some of the gaps in background checks to apply to online sales, for example,” said Collins. reporters Monday.

But the Maine moderate did not seem enthusiastic about the bill approved by the House.

“My understanding is that it is very, very broad,” she said.

Schumer says he will not now choose what the Senate should do, but will instead meet with colleagues, including Murphy, to chart a way forward.

“We have to find the best way to do the most,” he said. “I will not choose which one. The draft background check was approved by the House, by an overwhelming majority. It is supported by 90% of Americans, 80% of gun owners.

“This does not mean that we would not look at other things as well,” he said.

The House’s background check project was approved from 227 to 203.

Murphy said on Wednesday that expanding background checks will be the starting point for negotiations.

“Background check has the advantage of being the most politically popular and practical from a political point of view, so I think it makes sense to start by correcting the background check system and that involves expanding [it],” he said.

But he raised concerns about limiting background checks to business transactions and said he wants to go beyond the 2013 Manchin-Toomey amendment, which exempted sales and transfers between family and friends.

“It is difficult to define what a commercial sale is,” said Murphy. “If it’s a sale to a stranger, but it didn’t happen online or at a gun show, is this a commercial sale?”

He said a better option would be to create “a very clear division of family members”.

He noted that Manchin and Toomey negotiated with the National Rifle Association while drafting their reduced proposal to expand background checks nearly eight years ago, in the hope that the gun owners’ rights group would support the amendment, which it never did.

The NRA ended up opposing Manchin-Toomey, although it was able to make several major changes to it.

“A lot has happened since then,” said Murphy. “We have made other improvements to the background check system since then that make Manchin-Toomey quite irrelevant.”

There are also divisions within the Democratic caucus over broader proposals, such as Feinstein’s ban on assault weapons.

The California senior senator said during the Judiciary Committee hearing about the mass shooting in Boulder that she would like the committee to consider its legislation.

“I really hope that we can do something about it. I have 35 co-sponsors in a renewed assault weapon ban on this committee. And I hope that we can hold a hearing and perhaps consider that legislation, ”she said to the president. Dick DurbinDick Durbin’s Morning ReportThe Hill – Biden leans heavily toward gun control. Democrats plan to put pressure on the Republican Party for obstruction. New shootings plunge Biden and Congress into the gun control debate MORE (Dill.).

But putting the ban on assault weapons on the ground would be a difficult vote for moderate Democrats in Republican and undecided states.

“I’m not crazy about it,” said Tester, who represents a state that the former president Donald TrumpDonald Trump’s morning report, The Hill – Biden assigns Harris to the border; press conference today Democrats face issues on agenda Democrats divided on gun control strategy MORE achieved by 16 points in November.

The Great Falls Tribune reported in 2018 that Montana was the second most dependent state in the firearms industry, with more than 30 jobs in the firearms industry for every 10,000 residents.

The testator objected to the lack of exemption for family members in the background check bill approved by the House.

“I didn’t really look at him. Traditionally, I support background checks. I don’t think this project [an exemption for] passing on to your children. This is a problem, ”he said.

Other Democrats want votes on bills that prohibit assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines, even if those proposals have little chance of approval in the Senate.

“I would be in favor of considering some votes in plenary, at least I would. Because you have to make some of these issues more apparent to people, ”said the senator. Bob CaseyRobert (Bob) Patrick CaseySenate Democrats ask DHS for details on the response to Portland’s protests. Democrats’ momentum attacks infrastructure plans. Republicans see Becerra as the next target in the confirmation wars MORE (D-Pa.), Which supports the ban on assault weapons.

“The last time we had a real debate and vote on arms policy was around 2013. It is eight years. We are very late, ”he said. “I think it is important to have the vote.”