Wall Street Journal - Gun Violence Focus Set to Shift to Congress
January 13, 2013
By Colleen McCain Nelson and Carol E. Lee
After Vice President Joe Biden delivers his recommendations for reducing gun violence to the president Tuesday, the focus will shift to Congress, where legislation restricting firearms faces an uncertain path.
Senate leaders have offered assurances that gun-safety legislation will be among the first bills introduced, a Senate Democratic aide said. But Majority Leader Harry Reid already is expressing doubts about enacting an assault-weapons ban, which President Barack Obama has urged Congress to pass.
After the Newtown, Conn., shooting spree in December, several Republicans in Congress said they're open to discussing legislation aimed at stemming gun violence. At the same time, many on Capitol Hill acknowledge that building consensus to pass any gun-control bill still will be a heavy lift.
The National Rifle Association has been quick to rebuff the White House's suggestions, and on Sunday, NRA President David Keene predicted that efforts to ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines would go nowhere. "The likelihood is that they are not going to be able to get an assault weapons ban through this Congress," Mr. Keene said on CNN's "State of the Union."
The White House has signaled that it will continue to apply pressure after the release of its recommendations. A senior administration official said a public campaign is planned to build support for the president's gun-control initiatives. Outside groups such as the Center for American Progress and Mayors Against Illegal Guns also are coordinating similar efforts.
Mr. Reid has long cast himself as a protector of the Second Amendment and recently expressed doubts about the prospects of banning assault weapons. On "Nevada Week in Review," a public television program in Las Vegas, he said a ban may pass the Senate, but likely wouldn't win sufficient support in the House. He added that "the American people want us to be very cautious what we do."
Mr. Reid has a complicated relationship with the NRA, which in 2010 declined to endorse him or his Republican opponent. The Nevada Democrat has opposed an assault weapons ban in the past. But in the wake of the Connecticut shootings, he said every idea should be on the table.
An aide to House Speaker John Boehner (R., Ohio) said the White House hasn't communicated its plans for pursuing gun-control measures. Meantime, House Democrats have created their own gun-violence prevention task force, led by Rep. Mike Thompson (D., Calif.), who expects to deliver recommendations in February. "Republicans are concerned about this (issue)," Mr. Thompson said. "We're going to put something together that will get support from both sides." He said he will meet with Mr. Biden on Monday.
The vice president, who spent much of last week meeting with organizations from both sides of the gun-control debate, already has detailed several ideas he says have broad support, including requiring background checks for every gun purchase, restricting high-capacity magazines and reversing restrictions on federally funded research and data-collection on gun injuries.
Mr. Biden's proposals are expected to include both legislative and executive actions. But a senior administration official acknowledged there are limits to what could be done without lawmakers' approval: "We can't ban assault weapons by ourselves. We can't ban the [high-capacity] clips. We can't mandate universal background checks. We need Congress to do those things."
Rep. Howard Coble, (R., N.C.) a member of the House Judiciary Committee, which would likely have jurisdiction over gun-control legislation in the House, said the emotion spurred by recent mass shootings could lead to "discussions that will be deeper than in the past."
"The climate is a little different in view of the horrific acts in the theater in Colorado and in Connecticut and in the school in California," he said. But he stopped short of saying whether measures would have the necessary support to pass.
Senate leaders have offered assurances that gun-safety legislation will be among the first bills introduced, a Senate Democratic aide said. But Majority Leader Harry Reid already is expressing doubts about enacting an assault-weapons ban, which President Barack Obama has urged Congress to pass.
After the Newtown, Conn., shooting spree in December, several Republicans in Congress said they're open to discussing legislation aimed at stemming gun violence. At the same time, many on Capitol Hill acknowledge that building consensus to pass any gun-control bill still will be a heavy lift.
The National Rifle Association has been quick to rebuff the White House's suggestions, and on Sunday, NRA President David Keene predicted that efforts to ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines would go nowhere. "The likelihood is that they are not going to be able to get an assault weapons ban through this Congress," Mr. Keene said on CNN's "State of the Union."
The White House has signaled that it will continue to apply pressure after the release of its recommendations. A senior administration official said a public campaign is planned to build support for the president's gun-control initiatives. Outside groups such as the Center for American Progress and Mayors Against Illegal Guns also are coordinating similar efforts.
Mr. Reid has long cast himself as a protector of the Second Amendment and recently expressed doubts about the prospects of banning assault weapons. On "Nevada Week in Review," a public television program in Las Vegas, he said a ban may pass the Senate, but likely wouldn't win sufficient support in the House. He added that "the American people want us to be very cautious what we do."
Mr. Reid has a complicated relationship with the NRA, which in 2010 declined to endorse him or his Republican opponent. The Nevada Democrat has opposed an assault weapons ban in the past. But in the wake of the Connecticut shootings, he said every idea should be on the table.
An aide to House Speaker John Boehner (R., Ohio) said the White House hasn't communicated its plans for pursuing gun-control measures. Meantime, House Democrats have created their own gun-violence prevention task force, led by Rep. Mike Thompson (D., Calif.), who expects to deliver recommendations in February. "Republicans are concerned about this (issue)," Mr. Thompson said. "We're going to put something together that will get support from both sides." He said he will meet with Mr. Biden on Monday.
The vice president, who spent much of last week meeting with organizations from both sides of the gun-control debate, already has detailed several ideas he says have broad support, including requiring background checks for every gun purchase, restricting high-capacity magazines and reversing restrictions on federally funded research and data-collection on gun injuries.
Mr. Biden's proposals are expected to include both legislative and executive actions. But a senior administration official acknowledged there are limits to what could be done without lawmakers' approval: "We can't ban assault weapons by ourselves. We can't ban the [high-capacity] clips. We can't mandate universal background checks. We need Congress to do those things."
Rep. Howard Coble, (R., N.C.) a member of the House Judiciary Committee, which would likely have jurisdiction over gun-control legislation in the House, said the emotion spurred by recent mass shootings could lead to "discussions that will be deeper than in the past."
"The climate is a little different in view of the horrific acts in the theater in Colorado and in Connecticut and in the school in California," he said. But he stopped short of saying whether measures would have the necessary support to pass.