Gun bills may trigger split

THE WASHINGTON TIMES ^ | Feb 23, 2004 | Brian DeBose

[neverdem]

The Senate will begin another debate on federal gun laws this week, and at least one issue may put it at odds with Republicans in the other chamber.

A Republican-led bill to immunize gun makers from wrongful-death claims is expected to hit the floor tomorrow, but Democrats and liberal Republicans will propose an amendment to extend the federal assault-weapons ban, possibly setting up a showdown with the House.

[neverdem]

This should be the year for Senate RINOs and Boxer, at least, to go out the door.

[Mr. Mojo]

Bang!

[Little Ray]

Sign this, GW, and you are a one-term president, just like your dad.

[Joe Hadenuf]

"With regard to the assault-weapons ban, he supports the extension of the current ban," White House spokeswoman Claire Buchan said.

[Mr. Mojo]

The president wants the [AWB] extension to make good on his 2000 campaign promise to continue the "common sense" legislation

Ah, no he doesn't. He wants the blasted thing to be killed in the House so he's not put in the position of having to sign it and alienate even more of his base (if that's possible).

[Blood of Tyrants]

We need a constitutional amendment like the one in Tennessee that states that no amendment to a bill may be made that is not directly related to the original bill. This would stop a lot of these "poison pill" amendments that are designed to either kill a bill or sneak a law in that could never pass on its own.

[Reelect President Dubya]

Sign this, GW, and you are a one-term president, just like your dad.

Amen.

But I will hold my fire UNTIL/UNLESS he does.

[Blood of Tyrants]

If he signed the gun manufacturer immunity with an AW extension amendment on it, he would make nobody happy and piss off BOTH sides.

[Mr. Mojo]

"The issue is, do we want to save the American gun industry or kill it ... and we oppose any expansion of the Clinton semiautomatic gun ban," Mr. LaPierre said.

Yes, Wayne .....but do you support any extension? Seems LaPierre may be willing to compromise on this point.

[Mr. Mojo]

If he [Bush] signed the gun manufacturer immunity with an AW extension amendment on it, he would make nobody happy and piss off BOTH sides.

Yep, and it appears the NRA is willing to go along with this compromise as well, as I stated above.

[King Prout]

might be time to beat the grass... again

[scory]

All that Mr. Bush needs to do is change his mind on the AWB and declare his intention to let it sunset. He can do this and suffer no loss of support from his base - indeed, it would very likely go some ways to placating many who have been angered by some of his actions. The risk of losing the votes of people who support the AWB is nil as they aren't going to vote for him anyway. So this is a real opportunity to shore up the base with little or no downside.

[looscnnn]

"We need a constitutional amendment like the one in Tennessee that states that no amendment to a bill may be made that is not directly related to the original bill. "

I agree, but couldn't they say that the AWB and gun show "loop hole" riders related to the bill being that they are all gun related?

[Blood of Tyrants]

From what I have read, the NRA is NOT willing to let the AW ban pass as an amendment to the other even if it means killing the manufacturers' immunity.

This ought to be a no brainer. For the AW ban to expire, Congress has to do absolutely NOTHING. Any legislation can easily be tied up until after Sept 13.

[looscnnn]

"he would make nobody happy and piss off BOTH sides."

Not a good situation, he needs to let Congress know that he does not want the industry bill with the AWB as a rider.

[Joe Brower]

[Mr. Mojo]

From what I have read, the NRA is NOT willing to let the AW ban pass as an amendment to the other

I've read the same thing. But lately LaPierre has been talking about the NRA's opposition to an expansion of the AWB, not an extension. They've been know to compromise in the past, and since the President himself has come out supporting the AWB extension, it wouldn't suprise me in the least if the NRA does so as well ......if not openly.

[Blood of Tyrants]

Nope. The Tennessee Constitution states "No bill shall become a law which embraces more than one subject, that subject to be expressed in the title." So far the Rats in Tennesse haven't tried to pass a law entitled, "Stuff" or "Guns" and just pack it full.

[Puppage]

assault-weapons

Assault is an action, not a device.

[from occupied ga]

the NRA is willing to go along with this compromise as well, as I stated above

The NRA never found an anti-gun bill that they wouldn't compromise with.