President Biden
Joe Biden Good luck, Dan Bongino! The Hill’s Morning Report: Biden’s next act: a major infrastructure plan with tax hikes. The Conservative group says polls show Dems’ voting rights bill is out of sync with that of American voters. MONTH on Tuesday urged Congress to enact significant firearms reforms after the second mass shooting in less than a week, plunging Washington back into a family debate where lawmakers have stalled in recent years.
Eight people in the Atlanta area and ten people in Boulder, Colorado, were killed in the most recent shootings, but there was little evidence that they moved the needle in Congress, even when political leaders who supported the reforms in the guns pointed out that the United States is the United States. the only country in the world to continually suffer from mass shooting events.
There had been no mass shootings in a year, as much of the country stayed home from work and school during the pandemic, a fact that former President Obama sadly noted.
“A pandemic once a century may not be the only thing slowing down mass shootings in this country,” said Obama, who failed to convince Congress to move forward with meaningful reforms after the Newtown Elementary School shooting , Connecticut, in 2012, said in a statement.
“We should not choose between one type of tragedy and another. It’s time for leaders everywhere to listen to the American people when they say enough is enough, because that’s normal that we can no longer afford, ”he said.
Biden, in White House statements, urged Congress to ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines and to close gaps in gun background checks.
Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee Dick Durbin
Dick Durbin Get to know the Make the Senate Great Again caucus on Sunday: Biden management faces increasing borders; U.S. mourns Atlanta Hillicon Valley shooting: Senate Republicans call for hearing on FTC Obama-era Google decision | The US network increases the risk of cyberattack, says GAO YouTube launches rival TikTok in the US MORE (D-Ill.), The No. 2 Democrat in the Senate, called for a “moment of action” as well as a moment of silence to address the “epidemic” of U.S. armed violence.
Republicans were silent in their comments, however, with the Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell
Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnell The Hill’s Morning Report – Biden’s Next Act: Massive Infrastructure Plan with Tax Rises Senate Republicans Wiped Out by Returning Allocations Note: Trump Struggles to Stay Relevant (R-Ky.) Bursting Democratic calls to remove the filibuster in word comments. McConnell did not use his time on the floor to address the shootings. He later condemned the shootings and said he was open to the debate over gun reform, but acknowledged “profound philosophical differences” between Democrats and Republicans over how to tackle gun violence.
During a pre-scheduled Senate hearing on reducing gun violence Tuesday, Senator Ted Cruz
Rafael (Ted) Edward Cruz The Hill’s Morning Report: Biden’s Next Act: A Big Infrastructure Plan with Tax Rises Senate Republicans Wiped Out by Returning Trump Allowances Increases Activities, Power Says Within GOP MORE (R-Texas) accused Democrats of “ridiculous theater” by proposing universal background checks and other measures.
“Every time a shooting happens, we play this ridiculous theater where this committee meets and proposes a bunch of laws that would do nothing to stop these murders,” Cruz said in the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing. He accused Democrats of attempting to take away weapons from law-abiding citizens.
Given the strong differences shown, a senior Obama administration official expressed skepticism that recent traits would influence the debate.
“After El Paso and Dayton, it is very clear that nothing will influence Congress Republicans on gun control,” the former official said, referring to the 2019 mass shootings that occurred less than ‘a day of difference.
When asked during a later trip to Columbus, Ohio, if he had the political capital to advance with guns, Biden replied that he expected so and crossed his fingers.
“I don’t know. I haven’t done any counting yet,” Biden replied.
Congress passed a federal ban on assault weapons in 1994, when Biden was chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, but the law was written until sunset after ten years. Since then, lawmakers have renewed calls for a ban on assault weapons following mass shootings, but they have not gained strength.
A 2019 House bill that attracted 216 co-sponsors did not get a vote on the ground even though Democrats had a majority in the lower house.
Biden’s call for further reforms included the demand that the Senate “immediately pass” two bills passed by the House earlier this year that would expand the background on arms sales.
“This is not and should not be a partisan issue, it is an American issue. It will save lives, American lives and we have to act, ”Biden said, noting that House bills had received some Republican support.
Leader of the Senate majority Charles Schumer
Chuck Schumer’s Democrats are offering low-tax states an offer they should reject. Biden must keep his health promises. FEMA Pauses Flood Insurance Rate Update After Schumer Retreat: MORE Report (DN.Y.) has promised swift action on the legislation, which would strengthen background checks and close the so-called Charleston Gap by extending the time federal investigators have to conduct background checks from three to 10 days.
Eight Republican lawmakers voted for antecedent legislation that would require unlicensed private sellers to conduct a check before transferring a firearm. Two House Republicans supported the bill to close the Charleston Gap.
Democrats also think they have a chance to take advantage of a weakened National Rifle Association. The pro-gun advocacy group filed for bankruptcy and announced in January that it would rejoin Texas and leave New York. He also faces a civil lawsuit from New York Attorney General Letitia James (D).
Democrats face obstacles that overcome any arms control measure in the Senate 50-50, where they need at least 10 Republican votes to end the debate on legislation, as long as every Democrat votes in favor of the bill, unless attach an arms control measure to a bill passed through budget conciliation.
His. Joe Manchin
Joe Manchin The Hill’s Morning Report: Biden’s next act: a major infrastructure plan with tax hikes The Senate confirms Marty Walsh as Biden’s Labor secretary, the White House, looks at T (DW.Va.) on Tuesday told reporters that it does not support legislation passed by the House to expand the background, suggesting it should include a larger exemption for arms transfers between people it is known for.
“I come from an armed culture. And I am a gun owner who complies with the law, I would do the right thing, you have to assume that we will do the right thing, ”said Manchin.
Manchin reiterated his support for a bill he previously offered with the senator. Pat Toomey
Patrick (Pat) Joseph ToomeySasse reprimanded Nebraska Republican Party for dismissal vote GOP Commissioner Philly on censorship: “I would suggest censoring Republican elected officials who lie” Toomey censured by several Pennsylvania County GOP committees for voting dismissal MORE (R-Pa.) That would extend the background to all commercial arms sales.
The White House indicates that it will look for ways to act through executive actions.
“We are considering a number of levers, including legislative measures, including executive action to address, obviously, not only arms security measures, but violence in communities, so it has been and will continue to be discussed. “, said the White House press secretary Jen Psaki
Jen PsakiOn The Money: New Batch of Stimulus Payments for Success Accounts Wednesday | Biden eyes T infrastructure package Senate confirms Walsh as White House Labor secretary with eyes sweeping T-spending proposal Texas Democrat’s office reveals photos of crowded border patrol facilities MORE he told reporters aboard Air Force One after Biden’s statements.
Psaki said White House officials believe they need to work on “multiple channels” at once.
The push for new arms measures could boost calls to end or reform the legislative filibuster that requires 60 votes to end the debate on most legislation. Biden recently said he supported a return to the “talking filibuster” in which senators must be physically speaking on the ground to block legislation.
“The Americans decided to check the background. If the filibuster is the only thing preventing a popular proposal from becoming law, it’s true that it should be part of the conversation about why the rules need to be changed, ”the senator said. Chris Murphy
Christopher (Chris) Scott Murphy: March: It’s crazy: Democrat lawmaker “fought tears” during border visit Democrats defend border crisis MORE (D-Conn.) He told reporters.
Alex Gangitano and Jordain Carney helped report.