Much more optimistic on the gun issue. The GOP House should be able to defeat a really bad gun control law, and there are enough GOP senators to sustain a filibuster.
The thing that drives me up the wall is the STRUCTURE of the GWB taxcuts-—designed to sunset after ten years. If it weren’t for that sunsetting feature, the GWB tax rates could stay in effect without much effort.
Do you understand why the Bush Tax Cuts sunsetted?
Permanent tax cuts are subject to a filibuster in the Senate -- requiring at least sixty votes for passage.
Temporary tax cuts, however, may be passed under "budget reconciliation" -- which requires only a simple majority. However, there is a ten-yer limit on "temporary" measures.
At the time, recall that the Senate was split 50-50, with VP Dick Cheney providing the 51st vote. With 50 Democrat Senators, led by Tom Daschle, no way the Bush tax cuts would've passed under the regular rules of procedure.
Our mistake wasn't in passing the Bush Tax Cuts on a temporary basis in the first place, it was letting the Democrats be in charge ten years later.