Toomey, sensing 'momentum,' plans revival of bill to expand background checks

[DonViejo]

Source: The Washington Post




By Robert Costa and Ed O'Keefe February 20 at 5:35 PM

Sen. Patrick J. Toomey (R-Pa.), who once spearheaded an unsuccessful bipartisan agreement to strengthen gun laws, said Tuesday that he plans to introduce legislation in the coming weeks that would expand background checks on firearm purchases, giving a jolt to gun-control efforts in the wake of last week’s mass shooting in Florida that killed 17 people and left scores injured.

“It does feel like we have a shot at getting a little bit of momentum on background checks,” Toomey said in an interview with The Washington Post, after the long holiday weekend when he spoke by phone with several senators. “We’re going to take a swing at that and I’m hoping we’ll be able to do it.”

Toomey said the legislation he is readying is a revival of the measure that he introduced in 2013 along with Sen. Joe Manchin III (W.Va.), a moderate Democrat. That legislation, which expanded background checks to include unlicensed gun-show dealers and online sales, failed to move forward.

But Toomey’s attempt Tuesday to jump-start his bill came amid a flurry of activity, including at The White House, leaving the Pennsylvanian’s latest push far from certain to be the consensus choice for fellow Republicans.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2018/02/20/toomey-sensing-momentum-plans-revival-of-bill-to-expand-background-checks/

[DeminPennswoods]

1. Even a broken clock is right twice a day

It's a start

[uberblonde]

2. I don't recall the details...

But from what I remember, his bill was one of those that pretends to solve the problem without actually doing anything. I think it had some fairly big exceptions.