McConnell: Gun background checks will be 'front and center' in Senate debate

The Hill ^ | 08/08/19 | Jordain Carney

[yesthatjallen]

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) predicted Thursday that gun background checks and so-called red flag laws would be "front and center" in the chamber's upcoming debate on gun-related legislation.

"The discussion is focusing on two things: One is these red flag warnings. … There's also been some discussion about background checks," McConnell told Kentucky radio station WHAS during an interview on Thursday.

When the radio host noted that expanding background checks is supported by roughly 90 percent of Americans, McConnell acknowledged that "there's a lot of support for that."

"There's a bipartisan bill in the Senate, Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, a Republican, and Joe Manchin of West Virginia, a Democrat, so those are two items that for sure will be front and center as we see what we can come together on and pass," McConnell added.

McConnell did not say whether he supports expanding background checks or that he would give a bill that expands background checks a vote as part of the Senate's upcoming debate.

The Senate has been a consistent roadblock to expanding background checks after a failed 2013 vote on the Manchin-Toomey proposal. Senators voted 54-46 on the proposal, falling short of the 60 vote threshold.

Five Democrats, none of whom are still in the Senate, voted against the bill. Two of the four Republicans who voted for it, Toomey and Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), remain in the Senate.

McConnell predicted on Thursday that other issues, including questions about assault weapons, would also likely come up.

"That will probably be discussed as well. We had that ban for about a 10-year period," he said. "Background checks and red flags would probably lead the discussion, but a lot of other things will come up as well. What we can't do is fail to pass something."

McConnell is facing intense pressure from Democrats to bring the Senate back into session during the August recess to vote on a House-passed bill, which would go further than Manchin-Toomey by implementing universal background checks.

That bill has no chance of passing the Senate after clearing the House with the support of eight Republicans. The Senate's companion bill has 42 co-sponsors, none of whom are Republicans.

McConnell rejected calls on Thursday to bring the chamber back, saying senators and their staffs would use the five-week break to discuss what can pass the Senate.

"We're going to begin the discussions during the August break and when we get back hopefully we'll be in a position to agree on things on a bipartisan basis and go forward and make a law," he said.

[Zathras]

Classic SJW move and Turtle is too stupid to know that.

[GingisK]

Conservatives will angrily blog, so don’t you worry.

[Skywise]

Perhaps it’s time we start organizing the resistance

[Ancesthntr]

“The left will say it doesn’t go far enough and defeat it for us.”

---

No, they won’t. Oh, they’ll carry on like children and bray like the jackasses that they are, but the history of the Left and gun control in this country is that they’ll take a crumb that weight 0.01 mg if it moves in the direction that they want. They are all about the long struggle, and know that we don’t have the discipline (as a bunch of individualists) to oppose them consistently over a long period of time. When they strike hard is when they have control (like 1934, 1968 and 1994)...but the crumbs along the way reinforce to their base (and masters) that they’re moving the ball down the field, even if a bit slowly.

NO COMPROMISES ANY MORE - they NEVER yield an inch, NEVER compromise with us. They ask for 100, we yell and scream and whittle them down to 30, and then we act like we won, when we actually lost 30.

Go about 1/5 of the way down this page to the part where the author starts talking about the gun rights cake...and then you’ll understand why NO COMPROMISE is the only policy that we can follow at this point: https://thelawdogfiles.blogspot.com/2010/09/ok-ill-play.html?showComment=1285384385988#c6434453110329887129

[Cobra64]

Is this different from a CCW permit background check?

[The Pack Knight]

“What we can’t do is fail to pass something.”

Agreed, Mitch. Pass national reciprocity and the Hearing Protection Act.

[rktman]

It will do nothing other than further infringe on that which we are guaranteed won't be infringed on. 😠

[Ancesthntr]

“Bump! Every one of those need to become law ASAP. The House is a real stumbling block.”

---

Even if we got ALL of them attached to a universal background check bill, I would be against it. The very bedrock of our liberties is the fact that the government has always known that the people of this country have the ability - in their hands - to kill the lot of them and burn the whole thing to the ground if they act too tyrannically. Understand that our government, notwithstanding the rules set forth under the Constitution, is a government of fallible human beings...some of whom crave power as badly as Hitler, Stalin and Mao, and would do what those men did to achieve or maintain it. There is nothing magic about the dirt that makes up this country - the magic that has allowed a couple million settlers clinging to the coastline to become a superpower like none ever seen before is in our culture and laws. Eliminate the guns, as the Leftists want - crave - to do, and the culture and laws will begin to disappear along with the owners of those guns; first in a trickle, later in a torrent.

NO COMPROMISE!

[G Larry]

Expanded background checks SHOULD mean:

Holding minors accountable for violence and serious mental health issues.!

[Ken Regis]

I have a proposal.

Maybe I haven't thought it through all the way. I'll see, if there are any reactions.

Conservatives, make this offer to the Liberals in Congress. We will accept expanded background checks for any new gun purchasers.
In exchange, we will do the exact same background check for anyone who crosses our border.

If the check yields inadequate information, then it's a "no go!"

If there are any misrepresentations, then it's a prison term or expulsion.

While I'm thinking about it, maybe there should be background checks (of a lesser kind) for anyone to get a voter ID card.

[rktman]

And it will absolutely guarantee compliance by the bad guys. Uh, probly not. Especially since they can't incriminate themselves. I call 🐂💩

[acapesket]

So, Women going through Menopause, whose Doctor’s usually have no clue how to help them, nor do they have the time or patience thus shooting them off to Shrinks..
(the World’s Worst Idea! Sending hormonally challenged to the Crazy with Degrees)

should be denied a gun because they had a rough time in their 50’s?

[JudgemAll]

None of this would have prevented these left wing sleeper cell terrorists from striking. So why the heck are we talking about a measure that will not address the culprit?

[Ancesthntr]

“Tie carrying gun laws to it.”

---

NO, NO, NO!!!!!

You don’t understand these people, do you? You give them a universal background check, and you’ve given them a registry with every single gun and gun owner tied together. That’s all that they need - and whether you and I can carry in CA or NYC or NJ the way I can carry in TX is of small consequence. When they can KNOW that you own X guns (and everything about those guns), then we are done as a free country. Because, mark my words, if they get a registry like that, then whatever they have given will be taken away the next time a Dem or a RINO is in the White House. Then what will you have?

NO COMPROMISE on registration (that’s what a universal background check MUST be), not even to expand/retake gun rights elsewhere.

[july4thfreedomfoundation]

What a bunch of a**holes!

NONE of the shootings in the last x number of YEARS were committed with privately purchased firearms. NONE.

These retards in Washington are hell bent on handing the RATS the White House, Senate and House of “Representatives” in 2020.

Effing idiots.

[Mack the knife]

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) predicted Thursday that gun background checks and so-called red flag laws would be “front and center” in the chamber’s upcoming debate on gun-related legislation.

---

Mandatory background checks for private sales of guns will have to be performed by a federally licensed gun dealer, who will charge $$ (some suggest $125). This is the equivalent of s poll tax, a penalty for low income people exercising their 2nd Amendment rights, as well as the first step towards universal registration. It infringes on the right to purchase arms, and is thus unconstitutional.

As posted earlier, red flag laws reverse the presumption of innocence, and thus erase the 5th amendment protections against self incrimination.

No surprise - advocated by the folks that claim “racism” is a “high crime”, and thus sufficient grounds for impeachment.

[Cololeo]

What the Hell did anyone think would happen when it was made “legal” and even desirable to murder your own children while still in the womb.

[right way right]

I demand media background checks for all media people including social media.

(Yeah, it’s just as stupid as gun laws).

[Aut Pax Aut Bellum]

Do anything and you all will be voted out next election.

[cowboyusa]

No, I agree, no records of private sales.