Four red-state Democratic senators are still against or giving off vibes that they could vote against universal background checks for gun purchases. That's the signature gun-control measure President Barack Obama and between 80 percent and 90 percent of the nation supports in the wake of the 12/14 elementary school massacre in Newtown, Connecticut.
Currently, only people who buy guns through federal firearm licensees are subject to FBI background checks run through the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). It is proposed that all gun buys, whether through FFLs or not, be covered by background checks no matter what the venue. This would eliminate what is widely called the "gun-show loophole," but actually would include all private transfers of firearms, except those between immediate family members.
This ought to be an easy sell since gun owners and even members of the National Rifle Association are shown in those polls to support background checks by high percentages. But the NRA leadership says the checks don't do any good, and there is a dispute over record-keeping that has kept most Republicans and some Democrats from signing on. The right-wing opposition has heated up this week as five Republicans—Ted Cruz of Texas, Rand Paul of Kentucky, Mike Lee of Utah, James Inhofe of Oklahoma and Marco Rubio of Florida—declared they will filibuster over any gun-control legislation that violates the 2nd Amendment. Whether expanded background checks fit that description is, of course, subject to interpretation.
If you're a resident of Alaska, Arkansas, Louisiana or North Dakota, please send an email to your Democratic U.S. senator, telling him or her to support universal background checks for all gun sales.
Please continue reading about Democratic holdouts on background checks below the fold.
Both Republicans and Democrats not on board with expanding background checks are under significant pressure to change their minds. Some top donors have said they won't contribute to any Senate Democrat who votes against expanded background checks. President Obama said in a speech Thursday "shame on us" if Newtown is forgotten and urged lawmakers not to go "squishy" on new gun-control measures just because the matter isn't in the news every day. Also, this week, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg is spending $12 million putting the screws to 19 senators in 13 states, including five Democrats, in ads pushing support for background checks. Two of those Democrats moved into the support column this week:
They are Kay Hagan of North Carolina and Joe Donnelly of Indiana. But Hagan has made it clear she will wait to see the details of the background check proposal before definitely agreeing to support it.
Sen. Mary Landrieu of Louisiana has said through a staff member that she hasn't yet made up her mind.
Two of the three others Bloomberg targeted have indicated they're hanging tough, freshman Sen. Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota fiercely blasted Bloomberg for meddling in North Dakota affairs without understanding its residents. Mark Pryor of Arkansas made similar remarks about the mayor's campaign.
There are also some other Democratic question marks. Sen. Mark Begich of Alaska has said he will wait and see what the details are. And a spokesman for Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia said the senator is "still holding conversations with Virginia stakeholders and sorting through issues on background checks" and other gun-control measures, including the assault weapons ban that is dead but not yet buried.
The problem with those senators who have said they have to see the details before deciding for certain how they will vote on the background check expansion is that they may be hinting at opposition to record-keeping, just as Sen. Tom Coburn of Oklahoma has done. Negotiations over a background check proposal among Coburn and three other senators—including the current bill's sponsor, Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York—collapsed because neither Schumer nor Coburn would bend on record-keeping. Coburn says it would create a gun registry that would be a prelude to confiscation. Schumer says it would not create a gun registry and that expanding background checks without record-keeping would make the law useless.
If record-keeping is the sticking point, it remains to be seen whether Schumer and others who have been firm on the matter will give in and accept a bill that many view as window-dressing without record-keeping. Passing an ineffective bill just to pass a bill would be as big a "shame on us" as doing nothing.
If you're a resident of Alaska, Arkansas, Louisiana or North Dakota, please email your Democratic U.S. senator and let him or her know you favor universal background checks for all gun sales and urge a vote for them in the Senate. If you are not a resident there and know people who are, please email them or contact via social media and urge them to send an email to their state's Democratic senator over this matter.