Gun Liability Bill Falls in the Senate

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[brothers4thID]

The Gun Manufacturers Liability Bill just failed by a vote of 8-90. Now there are no worries about the AWB (for now!).

[Dan from Michigan]

Those that voted for the final bill.

YEAs ---8
Breaux (D-LA) Daschle (D-SD) Lieberman (D-CT) Lincoln (D-AR) Lugar (R-IN) McCain (R-AZ) Pryor (D-AR) Voinovich (R-OH)

[Ancesthntr]

Why would you go to the trouble of attaching an amendment to a bill, get it approved...The entire bill goes to a vote, then vote against the whole thing???

Simple: the Dems (Feinswine and Upchuck Schumer among them) were hot to stop this bill. The AWB and gunshow amendments were intended to do 2 things: 1) make the bill unpalatable to the more conservative Pubbies and 2) be used as a club to smack Pubbies around with, since they would be on record against a ban on "evil cop-killing assault weapons."

Fortunately, IMHO, the Dems didn't really get what they wanted. Instead, they are on record (especially Kerry and Edwards, who flew back to DC just to vote to take away people's RKBA) as being against the rights of gun owners. We had Fat Ted (Drunken Murderer, MA) foaming at the mouth about banning the ammo from 30-30's, because they are "armor-piercing, cop killing bullets" (GMAFB!!!). No, the Dems got nothing. So, lawsuit protection will be delayed for another year or so, until the Senate Dems officially commit suicide in the South. None of the lawsuits has yet born fruit, nor will they (to allow such a suit to succeed is to guarantee that some lawyer - plus 10,000 of his buddies - will file another suit the next day against GM or Ford for the actions of a drunken driver - and THAT would destroy commerce in this nation). The only downside is that the costs of defending against these suits will continue to accrue until a clean bill is passed in the future.

Meanwhile, Feinswine and Upchuck will have to find another way to sneak the AWB renewal/expansion through...as the clock keeps ticking. Can you see John Effing Kerry flying back to DC to vote in August or September to - once again - limit the rights of law-abiding Americans to purchase firearms? It'll play well in the media, but the same folks that voted against Gore in 2000 on the basis of his stance on guns will do it again.

[claudiustg]

---Except gun manufacturers and sellers are still getting sued into receivership.---

So vote for Sen. Lunkerhead, he'll take care of that problem for you!

[Imal]

The more time goes by, the more I appreciate the profundity of cynicism.

[Ancesthntr]

Passed 52-47

What's up??

The amendment to S. 1805 to extend the Assault Weapons Ban passed by 52-47. However, as explained on this thread, all of S. 1805 - including the renewal of that odious POS law limiting our RKBA - was subjected to a 50 megaton nuking. Thus, the renewal of the AWB is NOT a fact - and the clock is ticking toward 9/14/04.

Feinswein and Upchuck won't be able to sneak the renewal through - too many folks are watching, and calling their Congresscritters - and when the sun rises on 9/14, we'll all be able to buy normal capacity mags for normal prices again.

[Robert_Paulson2]

Does this mean that the AWB, due to sunset, will very likely die in it's sleep?

[El Gato]

Now there are no worries about the AWB (for now!).

Indeed, for now. Now that they know there is support in the Senate for banning guns, and further restricting gun shows, and for mandatory gun locks, they will just find some other bill, which is much more of a "must pass" bill, which then can attach their odious and unconstitutional schemes

[demlosers]

It looks like good TV commercial material to tar Kerry during the election... Heehee...

[El Gato]

I have a feeling that this was the Rat's plan all along. Add so many poison pills the bill would never survive thus protecting their trial lawyer buddies.

Bingo, plus they got an issue to beat the Republicans up over, at least in the sheeple infested blue zones. They also got a good read on the strength of support in the Senate for gun control. IOW, they shored up their base, while the Republicans at best only manged to PO theirs.

[El Gato]

Although this leaves the gun manufacturers (still) open to frivolous lawsuits. Hopefully one day soon they can get a clean bill passed.

That may be the purpose of S1806, also sponsered by Craig and with the identical language to S1805, without the amendments.

[Sir_Ed]

I would have agreed with you in the past, but having seen the craven spinelessness of our GOP caucus, I didn't trust them enough to want the bill to have gone to conference.

There was just too much chance that the AWB would have been skillfully sent to Bush's desk by the anti-gunners, in which case he would have felt bound to have signed it.

For some reason, the Dems always seem to have more fire, more commitment, more zeal and more fervor to get their way than the GOP.

The House GOP caucus IS a little stronger, cojones-wise, than the Senate, but not enough for my liking.

I just couldn't take the chance that some slick backroom manuvering on the part of the Dems in Conference would have sent an AWB to the desk of prseident Bush, so I'm glad that Senator Craig urged the Senate to vote NO on his bill.

Ed

[SoDak]

Huh?

[El Gato]

The trick for Feinstein would be to find a pending Bill the Republicans are introducing that would be "germane" to the AWB.

There is no requirement that an amendment be germane. Several amendments to this bill certainly were not germane, for example one would have extended unemployement benefits.

[stevie_d_64]

I knew that there would be some politica swaggering to be done with this that both sides could and will exploit...

I think J "efin" Kerry did what he was told...

I hope that during the debates he'll be reminded of this...But I doubt it...

I for one (and I expect to burn in hell for it...) have only a slight concern abotu these gun industry lawsuits...Yes...I do see that costs do mount up...But for the most part I see a lot of them get thrown out...

My suggestion would be to wait until after September 13th, and on the morning of the 14th submit the original bill (S. 1805 wording) and let the feathers fly again...It will be harder to attach an amendment of such ramifications as the AWB to that at that time...

The AWB and Gun Manufacturers Lawsuit Protection Act (whatever you want to call it) will have to stand on their own, and should not be paired together on the same piece of paper...

I may have a chance real soon (new job/company orientation) to get up to DC there...And am entertaining the idea of going to a few "coffee's" with my elected officials...

Thats going to be Kay B. Hutchison, John Cornyn and I'll drop in on Tom DeLay if I have time...

Thanks for the perspective...It validates a tremendous amount of thoughts that I have had today...

Later,
Steve

[CHICAGOFARMER]

Fitzdumbass will not return from Il. so his replacement could be more reliable on this issue.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Don't count on it.

the chances are slim and none and slim just left town.

[The Bugler]

WFAA TV in Dallas reported on their 5:00 pm newscast that the Assault Weapons Ban was extended another 10 years and touted it as a major victory for Democrats.

[Slings and Arrows]

Just think if we had Lott!

That would be wonderful!

(I mean John Lott, of course. Think he'd consider a Senate run?)

[claudiustg]

---Huh?---

That's what increasing numbers of voters are saying. :^)

[jf55510]

I don't agree .. I think it was a set-up by the repubs.

The repubs wanted a clean bill. First they had to kill the bill with the amendments. They did! Now they can start over with a clean bill - after the November elections, when they can get it through the senate - clean!!

The rats think they defeated us - when in reality I believe the repubs have just pulled off a coup against the dems.

And .. the repubs have put the dems ON THE CONGRESSIONAL RECORD FOR BEING AGAINST UNFAIR GUN LAWSUITS, and voting against the bill they had loaded with amendments. This is just too cool.

First off, the Republicans aren't smart enough to do anything as devious as what you are suggesting. Further more all of the amendments had Republican authors or sponsers so Republicans voted to add all of the amendments. The Dems would have been on the Congressional Record as being against gun lawsuits if they would have just passed the clean bill. Also you have a ton of Republicans voting against outlawing the gun lawsuits. Which makes great ads for the Dems, I can see it now "Kerry and 89 other members of the Senate, including x Republicans, voted to let people recover money from negligent gun companies, why does the President keep pushing this extreme gun agenda?" The Dems played the Republicans like fiddle throughout this debate. There is no Republican leadership in the Senate.

[Lurker]

If it is not renewed by Sep. of this year, it will indeed sunset, or 'die in its sleep' as you put it.

However, I won't put anything past this Congress. Watch for it to be reintroduced, or worse yet, attached to some 'we gotta have it' bill.

L