Senator Feinstein on assault weapons ban: 'I’m not going to lay down and play dead'

[Tx4obama]

Feinstein on assault weapons ban: 'I’m not going to lay down and play dead'

(CNN) – Sen. Dianne Feinstein said Tuesday she’s not going to stop fighting to get a vote on her proposed ban on semi-automatic firearms modeled after military assault weapons, hours after Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said that the measure has no chance of passing the chamber.

“This is very important to me. And I’m not going to lay down and play dead,” Feinstein, D-California, said on CNN’s “The Situation Room.”

Reid, D-Nevada, told reporters he won't keep the proposed ban in gun legislation heading to the full Senate for consideration because including it would guarantee the measure would be blocked by a Republican filibuster. But he said he wants to ensure a vote on the ban will still take place.

The ban has been fiercely opposed by the National Rifle Association, Republicans and some Democrats would get fewer than 40 votes, Reid said, far below the threshold needed to defeat a filibuster or pass the Senate.

Instead, Feinstein could propose the ban as an amendment to the gun legislation on the Senate floor in order to get a vote on it, Reid said.

-snip-

Full article here: http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2013/03/19/feinstein-on-assault-weapons-ban-im-not-going-to-lay-down-and-play-dead/

[libdude]

1. Question

Is the Senate or House actually incapable of achieving anything? Perhaps this may be the best argument to eliminate representative government, switch to direct democracy.

[pipoman]

3. I suspect in this case, they determined their legislation would not

survive a constitutional challenge...that is the job of the judiciary committee..

[hack89]

4. The problem was assuming that an AWB actually had widespread Dem support in the Senate

A look at the Senate Dems up for reelection in 2014 makes it very clear why the Senate was not going to pass an AWB.

[pipoman]

2. I think it will always be a judiciary committee reject..in either house..

further I believe it reinforces the fact that there are pro-2nd amendment Democrats...contrary to the rebuts in the land of the hiding puppies ('delicate flowers' is accurate, just overused IMHO).