A bipartisan deal seems imminent on expanding background checks to cover more gun buyers, an agreement that could build support for President Barack Obama’s drive to curb firearms violence in the wake of the Connecticut elementary school massacre.
Meanwhile, the Senate is ready for an opening vote on gun control measures as Majority Leader Harry Reid set a roll call for tomorrow on starting consideration of the firearms legislation.
Odds are growing that Democrats will win enough Republican support to thwart an effort by conservatives and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell to block the debate from even starting.
While the expanded background checks would close some loopholes that allowed unfettered purchases at gun shows and online, it would exempt transactions like face-to-face, noncommercial purchases, said Senate staffers and lobbyists, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the private talks.
Currently, the checks are required only for sales handled through licensed gun dealers.
Tougher restrictions like a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity clips are not even being discussed as they have little popular support in a country weary of gun restrictions and heavy influenced by a powerful gun lobby.
Even if the expanded background checks pass in the Senate where the Democrats hold a slim majority it faces strong opposition in the Republican-controlled House.
I hope Republicans will stop trying to shut down debate and start engaging in the tough issues we were sent to
Washington to tackle,” Reid said.
Together, the developments were a boost for gun control advocates battling for restrictions following the Dec. 14
shootings that killed 20 children and six staffers at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.
Even so, the ultimate fate of gun legislation remains unclear, clouded by opposition from many Republicans and some moderate Democrats in the Democratic-led Senate and the Republican-run House of Representatives.
Many critics say the proposal would violate the Second Amendment of the US Constitution which guarantees the right to bear arms and burden law-abiding gun owners.
“We should focus law enforcement resources on the bad guys,” said Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, who is among
the Republican senators supporting the use of parliamentary maneuvers to block consideration of the gun control
legislation.
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