Senate Defeats Background-Check Plan, Imperiling Gun Bill

[Bosonic]

Source: Bloomberg

The Senate defeated a plan to expand background checks for firearm purchasers, imperiling President Barack Obama’s bid for new gun-control measures four months after 20 schoolchildren were shot to death in Newtown, Connecticut.

Senators voted 54-46, with 60 needed to adopt the measure, as several Democrats joined most Republicans in opposition. The vote was the most significant on gun control in 20 years, and it bucked 90 percent public-opinion support of mandatory background checks.

“Anyone who thinks this is going away is sorely mistaken,” said Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy, a Democrat who accompanied Newtown victims’ relatives to Washington last week. “If we don’t change the laws, there’s going to be another shooting,” he said. “Maybe then people will wake up.”

The defeated amendment was offered last week by Senators Joe Manchin of West Virginia, a Democrat, and Pat Toomey, a Republican, in an effort to create a proposal that could get bipartisan support.

Read more: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-04-17/senate-defeats-background-check-plan-imperiling-gun-bill.html

[sinkingfeeling]

1. I know my dirt bags voted against it.

[Paul E Ester]

37. The List

[sinkingfeeling]

39. Yep, Boozman and Pryor

[reflection]

2. “If we don’t change the laws, there’s going to be another shooting,” he said.

“Maybe then people will wake up.”

Man, if they didn't wake up after Sandy Hook, they'll never wake up.

[DallasNE]

10. My Exact Thought

When I heard him say that. Can't kick that can down the road forever.

Funny thing, but when were the Committee hearings on this bill? I don't recall any discussion taking place. The only discussion I heard was how so and so would vote on the filibuster. Government by minority sucks. It negates elections.

[groundloop]

25. There have been ample opportunities to "wake up"

We have had tragedy after tragedy after tragedy, yet so many of our damned congress critters and the fucked up rules in the Senate keep anything from being done. You'd think that a mass murder at a high school would wake people up. You'd think that a member of Congress being shot and members of her staff killed would wake people up. You'd sure the hell think that dozens of dead elementary students would wake people up. Unfortunately I think it's too late. I'm going to find out how my congress critters voted and either send them a scathing letter or a letter of gratitude.

[krispos42]

32. There's still going to be another shooting

: shrug:

Stuff like this trend to affect the background rate, single victim homicides, which are 95 percent or so of homicides.

The spree shootings are rare enough that this won't affect them.

hang said that, I would be very interested in why it failed. was it poisoned pilled?

[bucolic_frolic]

3. Locked and Loaded?

Sane and Sober.

Just ain't gonna happen.

[cilla4progress]

4. Terribly disappointing

Done under the cloak of other LBN headline-grabbing stories.

[brooklynite]

5. Baucus/Pryor voted "no"

Reid changed to "no" to allow him to bring up again

Lautenburg didn't make vote for medical reasons

Toomey and Collins voted "yes"

[MrBig]

9. Wrong about Lautenberg

He voted "yes" and got a round of applause after doing so. Quite admirable.

[DallasNE]

6. Does This Mean That No Votes Will Be Cast

On anything. Period. What about the earlier promise to have votes on individual amendments such as an assault weapons ban. It now seems that there is no bill to amend. It looks like all Republican lies, once again. Time for Sen. Reid to pull the "nuclear option".

[Harry Monroe]

16. Don't count on "Half assed Harry" to pull the "nuclear option"

He had a chance to change the rules before and didn't. He's a gutless coward.

[S_B_Jackson]

29. Individual votes were held for other amendment items today....

AWB failed with only 40 voting in favor, 60 opposed.

[DallasNE]

38. Later I Did Hear That They Had Votes

And the only tally I saw was on clip capacity and it failed 46-54. These votes, taken together, is a tacit approval for more carnage like Sandy Hook. They have to know that they will have blood on their hands the next time there is an attack -- and there will be an attack. Frankly, I surprised that Boston didn't play some role in this -- especially if it turns out to be a domestic terrorist attack -- because it is probably time to start looking at regulating blasting caps.

[Journeyman]

7. sigh . . .

So optimistic: "Maybe then people will wake up." Yet the people are awake. Ninety percent are. It's those who live in back pockets who ignore realities, and they'll neither awaken nor recognize a need to be anything but what they are.

[msongs]

8. gee who is responsible for 60 votes being needed...as usual nt

[cleduc]

11. Makes me sick to see this defeated with Newtown families in the gallery

But even if the Senate had passed it, what chance would it have in the House with Boehner's group still in charge?

Sad.

[onehandle]

12. GOP To Gun Terrorists: 'We Got Your Back!' nt

[Vietnameravet]

13. Fuckin' unbelievable

I never thought it would come to this..even a very small step toward sanity is defeated..Someone talk me down.. but I think this country is doomed..

[Gin]

14. Boston took the gun debate off the front page.

Move along folks....business as usual in DC.

[Harry Monroe]

15. Fucking gutless spineless cowards!!

Every fucking single one of them who voted against this. Every one of these pieces of shit is in the pockets of the NRA.

A sad day. The next tragedy is around the corner and the blood will be on their hands.

Harry Reid is also included as a spineless coward for not having the balls to change the filibuster rules.

60 fucking votes? What ever happened to majority rule voting!!

Sickening.

[alp227]

17. Republicans who voted for the amendment, Democrats against:

http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=113&session=1&vote=00097

Republican "Yea"
Susan Collins (Maine)
Mark Kirk (Illinois)
John McCain (Arizona)
Pat Toomey (Pennsylvania)

Democratic "nay"
Max Baucus (Montana)
Mark Begich (Alaska)
Heidi Heitkamp (North Dakota)
Mark Pryor (Arkansas)
Harry Reid (Nevada)

It was a 54-46 "yeah" vote. UGH. Had they voted yes, it would've been a 59-41 vote, one senator short.

[phleshdef]

19. Keep in mind that Reid voted no only so that he could bring it back up for another vote later.

[Ford_Prefect]

18. I call Chicken Shit on them all. They TALK Homeland Security and Safety but they do not walk it.

The research on gun related death is clear and has been around since the 1970's. Repeated versions of the same research have underscored the need to accurately and consistently regulate ownership and purchasing stream. It has also reiterated the absolute need to reduce the sheer number of weapons and ammunition in public hands. Any excuse to the contrary is denial of the problems. Australia proved the research was correct.

This is and has always been about one thing: Weapon company profits.

Long may they rust...

[Lasher]

20. Senate Roll Call Vote 97

On the Amendment (Manchin Amdt. No. 715)

[summerschild]

21. Why don't we save the taxpayers some money?

Put those "Nay" f**kers on the street and set an NRA lobbyist in their chair. Cut out all this middle-man crap.

[Jon Ace]

22. "as several Democrats joined most Republicans in opposition."

Not enough pork?

[frylock]

23. check is in the mail!

fucking shitters.

[DCBob]

24. What is it with these gun loving morons?!?!?

sickening.

[RKP5637]

26. WELL, I GUESS THERE JUST AREN'T ENOUGH DEAD PEOPLE YET. YET ANOTHER WHAT

THE FUCK!

[SunSeeker]

27. Craven corruption, suckling on the evil that is the NRA. nt

[alfredo]

28. I called my senator's action as cowardly. I said they fear the NRA more than they love us.

[PSPS]

30. LOL. Support of 90% of americans + majority in Senate = measure fails.

It's so nice to know the taxes you just paid on Monday finances this corrupt fiasco we laughingly refer to as "representative democracy."

[Loryn]

31. I'm so upset a out this.

I can't form a sentence.

[Doctor_J]

33. 91% of americans wanted this

at some point soon we're going to have to show the NRA and our so-called representatives that we mean business. This sort of thing is what leads to revolutions.

[quadrature]

34. the registry part was the killer

without the registry,
this would have passed.

[jbp23]

35. Obama and Reid's Failure

This failure should fall on the shoulders of Harry Reid and President Obama. Harry Reid's failure to fix the 60 vote threshold and fillibuster rules have once again come home to roost. Reid's weak leadership in the senate and his viewing of the senate rules as sacrosanct have reaped nothing but democratic failures.

As for Obama, his severe lack of political skills have provided failure once again. President Obama has zero abilities when it comes to political tactics or strategy. His laziness is one of his main weaknesses. He has never taken the time to build relationships with individual lawmakers on both sides. Doing this takes time and he refuses to make the necessary time to learn how the whole process works. For example, the moment the Newtown massacre happened he immediately made a huge mistake. Instead of taking advantage of the situation and never letting a crisis got o waste what did Obama do? He asked for a study to be conducted! He appointed Biden to go on some sort of fact finding mission about gun violence. This tremendous act of incompetence gave the NRA and Republicans much needed time to gather their forces and come up with a counter attack that ended today with a victory. Instead of learning from President Johnson, on how to be a leader who can pass legislation, how to develop relationships with reps/senators, and how to be a successful domestic president he has learned nothing from past presidents and he has learned nothing from his 1st 4 yrs in office.

If Obama would of taken advantage of public outcry, all the media attention he could of rushed a bill through Congress and won the day! Just like 9/11, did Bush waste time, no he took advantage of the high emotions and rushed a bill through (which turned out to be an awful bill with many flaws)Congress. Even though the bill sucked, the point is he got it passed because he took advantage of the situation at the time. Obama just does not get it, he is lost when it comes to political strategy. He is always outflanked, out maneuvered, out negotiated, and out thought by his opponents and today is just another example of it.

[Doctor_J]

36. good point s all

Welcome