Last week the bill to increase the penalties for gun trafficking (buying guns for someone else who can't clear a background check) was approved by a Senate committee. Now a second gun bill has cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee. This time it's a bill to close the loopholes in background checks for those wishing to purchase a gun.Currently, the background checks are not required at gun shows or when a private person sells a gun. They are only required when a gun is purchased from a licensed gun dealer. That means that about 40% of the sales of guns each year in this country do not get a background check. And after all of the mass shootings recently (especially the one in Newtown, Connecticut), that is simply not good enough for the American public. Several recent polls have shown that 80% to 90% of Americans are in favor of requiring a background check for ALL gun sales.
This new bill, written by Senator Charles Schumer (D-New York), would close the loopholes and make it a requirement for a background check to be done on all gun sales -- including sales by private citizens. It is a good bill that accomplishes something that should have been done years ago. Unfortunately, even though it is supported by most people, the bill does not have support from Republicans.
The bill was passed by the Senate Judiciary Committee with only Democratic votes. Not a single Republican on the committee voted for the bill. The GOP opposes a section of the bill that would require anyone, including private citizens, who sells a gun to keep a record of that transaction for a certain number of years. Personally, I don't see why they oppose that. Anyone who sells something as dangerous as a gun should be required to keep a record of the transaction and the background check.
But the GOP has seized on that provision as a way to stop the bill -- and protect the lucrative business of gun manufacturers. Senator Schumer has tried for weeks to find some kind of compromise the Republicans would accept, but they have refused all efforts -- which makes me think they oppose the whole bill, and not just this section (but are afraid to admit it because public support is so strong for the bill). I don't doubt that the GOP will probably try to filibuster the bill when it reaches the Senate floor.
There is still one more gun bill still in the Senate committee. It is the bill by Senator Feinstein (D-California) to outlaw the sale of military-style assault weapons. I doubt it will get any Republican support either.
