As we wrote yesterday… the math just didn’t add up and today the Democrat-controlled U.S. Senate today shot down President Obama’s effort to control guns in a series of votes.
The Democrat dominated Senate killed the new gun control bill championed by Majority Leader Harry Reid even after Team Obama pulled out all the stops to manipulate the public and the members of Congress.
The support just wasn’t there. Among the legislation that senators scheduled for vote was:
- The Public Safety and Second Amendment Rights Protection Act by Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and others. It expands background checks to gun shows and Internet sales. It also authorizes $400 million to upgrade the national background check database. It failed 54-46 under a requirement of 60 votes for adoption.
- A proposal by Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, to swap the background check provisions of the existing bill. It would target those who lie on background check applications and raise access to information about those who have been found mentally impaired by a court. It failed 52-48.
- The Stop Illegal Trafficking in Firearms Act from Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., and others. It would enable those who purchase guns for others to avoid a background check. It failed 58-42.
- Concealed-carry reciprocity from Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and others. It would treat state-sponsored concealed carry permits like driver’s licenses, making them valid across state lines. It failed 57-43
- The Assault Weapons Ban from Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., and others. It targets hundreds of types of weapons for a complete ban. It failed, 40 to 60.
- A plan from Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., to require a court order finding a person a danger to himself or herself or others before that person is banned from buying a gun. Failed 56-44.
- The Large-Capacity Magazine Feeding Devices Amendment from Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J.. It bans devices holding more than 10 rounds but creates a special class of citizen – the off-duty police officer – for exemption. Failed 46-54.
- A plan from Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wy., to penalize a state financially if officials publicly release gun ownership information.
- And Sen. Tom Harkin’s plan to encourage suicide prevention and mental health awareness.
The bill ended up getting only 54 votes, six short of the 60 needed to avoid a filibuster. President Barack Obama brought threw parents of the Newtown tragedy to DC at taxpayer expense to twist the arms of the Senate, and the president, former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, (D-Ariz), and with her husband, Astronaut Mark ('I'll take an AR-15 please') Kelly, had personally lobbied senators, but it the end it failed.
The bans on 'assault weapons', which the Left defines as 'scary looking guns' since there's no other real criteria for them and what are termed high capacity magazines were downright silly and should have ensured the bill's defeat all by themselves. But this bill was also an extremely anti-Second Amendment piece of legislation no matter what its proponents said, and while it didn't specifically mandate a federal gun registry, it opened the door with all the means to create one, and the American people are smarter than the Progressive Left counted on.
And finally, while the people pushing the bill said that certain exemptions for personal sales would be allowed, they weren't in the bill itself. The new regulations for background checks and the banning of certain firearms and magazines definitely were.
This was an open attempt to subvert the Constitution by legislating away part of the Rill of Rights.
Plus, among other things, the gun grab doesn't poll well. Only 4% of Americans consider more restrictive gun legislation an important issue, according to Gallup, making it unpopular with politicians on both sides of the aisle who have to run for election in 2014.
Democratic Sens. Mark Pryor (Ark.), Max Baucus (Mont.), Heidi Heitkamp (N.D.), Mark Begich (Alaska) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (Nev.) voted against it. Reid voted against it to preserve his ability to bring the measure up again.
GOP Senators. John McCain (Ariz.), Susan Collins (Maine), Pat Toomey (Pa.) and Mark Kirk (Ill.) all voted "yes."
Through this process, Republican Senator Toomey, in particular did himself some serious damage, as did West Virginia Democrat Joe Manchin, both of whom were instrumental in engineering this bill as one of those bi-partisan compromises that really wasn’t.
Our Founders provided us with a legal and constitutional way of repealing amendments or inserting new ones. You pass the legislation in both Houses of Congress, with a 2/3 majority and then it goes to the states, where 3/4 of them must ratify it. Anything else, including chipping away at our rights, is unethical.
Thankfully, enough senators cared enough about the Constitution (or at least about getting elected again) to do the right thing this time.
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, told the assembled body that Congress should be focused on “stopping violent criminals” but not “targeting law-abiding citizens.” “The approach that is effective is targeting violent criminals while safeguarding the constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens,” he said. Cruz blamed the Obama Justice Department for failing to prosecute gun criminals, noting that of 48,000 felons or fugitives who tried to obtain weapons, only 44 were prosecuted.
And I underline 'this time'. President Obama isn't giving up on this one, as he said today . He was visibly angry and pouting when he gave his speech following the vote…
This is a temporary victory. It will be a battle that patriotic Americans must fight over and over again until we find our way back to sanity; our way back to the Constitution, common sense, morality, decency and the values that made America great and special.
h/t to Joshua Pundit and WND: Bang! Senate shoots down gun control
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