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Democrats Ready To Deal On Gun Control?
The push by Obama and his allies, including a $12 million ad buy by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, appears only to have highlighted the fact that any bill that includes paper records for all private sales can’t pass Congress.
Perhaps the greatest sign that the push for tougher legislation has failed is that Democrats are quietly preparing a fall back position. Behind the scenes staffers for Republican Senator Tom Coburn and Democrat Charles Schumer are drafting a substitute background check bill that would be softer, but could get broad Republican support. “Lines of communication remain open and both sides are working in good faith to come to an agreement,” says one source close to the deal.
The substitute bill is not yet done—the sticking point remains whether there will be a requirement for paper records of background checks on private sales at gun shows or elsewhere. Coburn says Republicans won’t accept any expansion of record keeping to private sales, even though paper records are required for guns sold by licensed dealers. Gun control advocates say that not including a paper record of a private gun sale makes the expanded background check requirement for gun shows and other private sales toothless. The bill incorporates other compromises already agreed to, like exempting holders of concealed-carry permits and intra-family gun transfers from the checks, and other measures.
Barring a dramatic turnaround, the Democrats now face a choice of either walking away from any expanded background check or accepting one without paper records of private sales. Some gun control groups are pushing Democrats to walk away. But the White House appears to be softening its tone. “What the president wants to sign is the strongest gun bill he can sign,” White House senior advisor Dan Pfeiffer said Thursday at a function of the website, Politico. “What we have to make sure is that whatever we do is better than current law,” Pfeiffer said.
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Perhaps the greatest sign that the push for tougher legislation has failed is that Democrats are quietly preparing a fall back position. Behind the scenes staffers for Republican Senator Tom Coburn and Democrat Charles Schumer are drafting a substitute background check bill that would be softer, but could get broad Republican support. “Lines of communication remain open and both sides are working in good faith to come to an agreement,” says one source close to the deal.
The substitute bill is not yet done—the sticking point remains whether there will be a requirement for paper records of background checks on private sales at gun shows or elsewhere. Coburn says Republicans won’t accept any expansion of record keeping to private sales, even though paper records are required for guns sold by licensed dealers. Gun control advocates say that not including a paper record of a private gun sale makes the expanded background check requirement for gun shows and other private sales toothless. The bill incorporates other compromises already agreed to, like exempting holders of concealed-carry permits and intra-family gun transfers from the checks, and other measures.
Barring a dramatic turnaround, the Democrats now face a choice of either walking away from any expanded background check or accepting one without paper records of private sales. Some gun control groups are pushing Democrats to walk away. But the White House appears to be softening its tone. “What the president wants to sign is the strongest gun bill he can sign,” White House senior advisor Dan Pfeiffer said Thursday at a function of the website, Politico. “What we have to make sure is that whatever we do is better than current law,” Pfeiffer said.
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The pro gun control side is in a hurry to cut a deal on background checks while it can. They realize the momentum is not on their side, and that the NRA and the pro gun side has the upper hand on Capitol Hill.
Why are gun control supporters having such a tough time getting votes on an issue ~90% of Americans support, at least conceptually?
"In every Quinnipiac University poll since the Newtown massacre, nationally and in six states, we find overwhelming support, including among gun owners, for universal background checks," said Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. "American voters agree with the National Rifle Association, however, that these background checks could lead someday to confiscation of legally-owned guns."
By a 48%-38% margin, voters say that the government could use the information from universal background checks to confiscate legally-owned guns. And gun owners believe 53%-34% that the checks could lead to confiscation of legal guns. There's also a partisan divide on the question, with 61% of Republicans and 51% of independents, and only 32% of Democrats, expecting confiscations.
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By a 48%-38% margin, voters say that the government could use the information from universal background checks to confiscate legally-owned guns. And gun owners believe 53%-34% that the checks could lead to confiscation of legal guns. There's also a partisan divide on the question, with 61% of Republicans and 51% of independents, and only 32% of Democrats, expecting confiscations.
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