Even as Democrats castigated the GOP measure as ineffective and demanded votes on their own gun-control plans, the Freedom Caucus said it opposed the Republican package. John Lewis of Georgia and John B. Larson of CT, the organizers of the recent sit-in. They emerged after about an hour saying they had reached no resolution.
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McCarthy would not discuss possible punishments yet. But Larson said his faith in Ryan led him to convince members of his party to support a mental health bill that passed by an nearly unanimous vote Wednesday, in hopes that Democratic support of a bipartisan bill might appeal to the “better angels” of the Republican party – and influence Ryan to advance a gun vote. A small group of citizen gun control advocates were arrested around noon after holding a sit-in in the Capitol Rotunda.
Democrats have asked Ryan to allow votes on two bills: one for “no fly, no buy” legislation that would block individuals on the terror watch list from buying guns and one for universal background checks on commercial gun sales.
House Democrats and Republicans seem just as destined for an election-season clash over guns as they did before a Democratic sit-in on the chamber’s floor ushered in lawmakers’ July 4 recess two weeks ago.
Be proactive – Use the “Flag as Inappropriate” link at the upper right corner of each comment to let us know of abusive posts. “This is a bill backed by the heavy handed gun lobby that ensures it’s easier for a suspected terrorist to buy an assault rifle than get on a plane”.
Democrats have called the language unenforceable.
Brat said the homeland security provisions were “even more of a disaster in my view” than the gun control provision and without changes, he would likely vote no on the bill and doubted it would pass. “We’re elected to represent the people we are sworn to serve and cast vote”, said Larson.
Republicans have also objected, for different reasons.
Conservative members said they could not support the legislation in its current form due to concerns over whether it does enough to protect the rights of gun owners and because they have questions about the legislation’s counterterrorism provisions. The Rules Committee, which Sessions chairs, last month ruled them out of order on a budget bill set for debate Wednesday.
This bill “is the actualization of dystopian fiction”.
Calling the bill “atrocious” with “staggering implications”, Amash, a member of the Freedom Caucus, said that the bill’s disregard for the Second Amendment, compounded with its disrespect for the right to due process and a commitment to the “Rule of Law”, should disqualify it from serious consideration. Several conservatives have offered amendments.
Going beyond opposition from chamber Dems, Zeldin’s proposal and that of Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calf., are being sandbagged by the House Freedom Caucus, a group of some three dozen conservative Republicans who are at odds with more moderate GOP members. McCarthy and Ryan plan to meet Wednesday with Paul Irving, the House sergeant-at-arms and top law enforcement official. They also said they were investigating Democrats’ behavior during the sit-in, including whether they intimidated House aides and damaged furniture.
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Meanwhile, Republicans are threatening to punish Democrats who participated in the first sit-in for allegedly breaking House rules, The New York Times reports. Violating those tenants would “not be tolerated”. They said the three-day waiting period amounts to a short-term denial of rights, based on secret lists that aren’t vetted by any courts. They were charged with demonstrating in an area where it is unlawful to do so.
