For some though, Trump’s comments on gun control seemed to cross a line. Democrats are calling for universal gun background checks, while Republicans support more modest efforts to beef up the national background check system.
Advertisement
Meanwhile, progressive Democrats like Sen.
Now, however, he is talking of a “bipartisan bill” on gun control.
Trump held a freewheeling, televised meeting with lawmakers at the White House that stretched for an hour Wednesday, and he rejected both his party’s incremental approach and its strategy that has stalled action on gun legislation. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., and Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., has found new momentum since it was first introduced after the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in CT that left 20 children dead.
Faced with the fury of teenage voters as well as a surprise wave of activism from the business community, Trump has told House Speaker Paul Ryan that he wants immediate action on gun control, Politico reports. “So you could do exactly what you’re saying, but take the guns first, go through due process second”. Trump also supported Feinstein’s assault weapons ban telling Toomey and Manchin to add it to the bill. But Trump’s ideas to arm many teachers, lift the minimum age for purchasing assault rifles to 21 and impose stricter background checks were falling flat.
Trump has said he is disturbed by the level of violence he has seen in video games and movies accessible to children like his son Barron, age 12.
The White House is set to present a list of Trump’s policy decisions on the issue as early as Thursday. Founders of Sandy Hook Promise attended the earlier meeting. “The immigration debate is one that haunts us right now, because he did say he was for certain things but then he kept adding things to it”.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of NY said Monday that if all Congress can accomplish is passage of the “Fix NICS” bill “it would be an abject failure and a dereliction of our duty”.
“On this, it’s life and death right away”. “You have to be very, very powerful on background checks”. She says she can’t recall that level of support before. Pat Toomey to task on Wednesday over a bill he co-authored with Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia lacks the needed votes for Senate passage. “You have a different president now”. “You’re afraid of the NRA right?”
Toomey is telling “Fox and Friends” that he stood up to the NRA after sponsoring a similar bill in 2012. Trump said. The president repeatedly took positions that put himself at odds with the NRA and Republicans.
The White House meeting included a bipartisan group of lawmakers who all appeared to back a bill that was originally proposed in 2013 by Democratic Sen. The bill uses new incentives and penalties to encourage better compliance with current law, but does not expand the pool of gun buyers required to undergo background checks before buying a gun.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says a firearms background check bill moving forward in the Senate is not a “panacea” to gun violence, but a step Congress could take after the Florida high school shooting.
Had Trump “not ran on support of the Second Amendment”, Hammond said, “he would not be president of the United States”. The idea had been promoted by TV personality Geraldo Rivera, who recently had dinner with Trump in Florida. Trump made clear he was looking for more and accused lawmakers of being “petrified” of the gun lobby.
Trump plans another school safety meeting on Thursday.
Two weeks after 17 people were shot dead at a Florida high school, the United States is taking small steps to rein in guns.
Last week, he directed his administration to regulate bump stocks, the gun accessory used to simulate automatic fire in the 2017 Las Vegas attack.
Advertisement
Mr Trump deflected the warning and said he had previously told NRA officials: “It’s time”.
