President Biden is expected to announce a package of executive actions aimed at reducing gun violence on Thursday, according to Politico.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://talkingpointsmemo.com/?p=1368596
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://talkingpointsmemo.com/?p=1368596
Joe Manchin is gonna say no on the assault weapons ban, just like he did last time there was a legislative push. At most, we’re going to get some sort of expanded background checks. More likely, we’re going to get nothing.
7 Likes
Joe Manchin, King of the Senate, has argued that there’s no need for background checks when the buyer and seller know one another. This argument looks increasingly bogus when you look at the interviews with the family and friends of mass shooters who, inevitably, “could never imagined he’d ever do such a thing!”
18 Likes
Checks to take place when? Such guns aren’t legally sold to “consumers”; they’re privately swapped to a friend-of-a-friend for a wad of cash with no paperwork. All this requirement does is provide another hook on which to hold and charge people when they get caught for some other reason.
8 Likes
I’m sure conservatives won’t notice or even comment on this.
Of course I know him, we’re in the same anti-government militia group together…
12 Likes
Agreed.
And maybe this is the hill the Dems should die on to remind Manchin that he is in this party and if he isn’t on board, maybe he should find another line of work.
I’m getting real tired of one guy holding on to the short hairs and not allowing any of the agenda any fair consideration because he wants to be a King maker.
Not sure precisely what Schumer can do about this guy, but there needs to be something or our majority will mean nothing for the next year and a half and will likely be lost in 2022. This can no longer stand.
8 Likes
By all appearances, Joe Manchin’s opposition to meaningful gun control measures is a genuinely held belief. It’s certainly not a surprising position for a politician from West Virginia. And even though we’re not going to get gun control because we don’t have his vote on it, we’re going to get a hell of a lot of other very good stuff through the Senate with his vote. Including some kind of filibuster reform.
10 Likes
Ironically, any one of the 50 Democratic-caucusing senators could pull a Manchin. The fact that they don’t (see below) is significant.
Excluding Sinema, who just seems out of control at times, and Tammy Duckworth, who delivered her ultimatum to get what was not an unreasonable request.
4 Likes
I’ll watch.
I have one Senator here that’s on board and the other wouldn’t vote for a bill that guaranteed him a lifetime of Russian rubles if the Dems sponsored it.
I daresay this scenario isn’t unusual.
I fear for Biden’s agenda because I have no confidence in the Senate to do the right thing, despite public support for the agenda. The House is already becoming an issue because of Alcee Hastings’ demise and no confidence in the special election that would eventually replace him.
It would be nice if once, just once, a Dem majority would be a source of comfort rather than a source of anxiety and uncertainty.
8 Likes
FL-23 is a bright blue district – like, D+15 or 20 – so no reason for worry about it falling into the wrong hands.
5 Likes
Here are a couple of things to do, one executive action and one not.
Impose a 100% tariff on imported guns and ammunition. On the grounds of “national Security”. If the Orange Gasbag can use that rational on imports of aluminum from Canada and Mexico, why not. Goose, gander.
On a Law and Order bill, increase the size of the AFT and FBI. Eliminate the Tiahrt Amendment and the Dickey Amendment. Allow the AFT to computerize its paper records. All this not to enforce new laws, but to adequately enforce excising lag.
Bill will never pass, but one can dream.
8 Likes
Not sure what the two amendments do, but digitizing the AFT records shouldn’t be all that awful for even the biggest gun nuts. That affects really no one on a personal level and represents no infringement of 2A.
2 Likes
Hating on guns is going to get us all killed.
Or something like that. Someone will have all the details after Biden makes his announcement.
2 Likes
Cold ice cream is an infringement of the 2nd Amendment. And Puppies.
4 Likes
Both inhibit research into guns, and the use of guns and gun violence. One by prohibiting the release of information and one by saying the CDC can not fund it.
3 Likes
Neither research nor use are covered in 2A, no matter what Scalia and the NRA say.
At some point, any Federal agency has the right to digitize its records. Period.
3 Likes
Free people living in a free society should be free to kill other free people with freely purchased guns on the free market. What is so hard to understand about that?
1 Like
Probably oughta ask the victims and their survivors that premise?
They could move to somewhere else before they get killed. Nothing requires them to deny gun lovers their freedom. Don’t vote for gun bans, vote with your feet.
2 Likes