On the eve of the last debate before Iowa, the Senator from Vermont is backing away from a 2005 vote he took to protect gun manufacturers from liability, according to CNN.
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders backed away from a 2005 vote that gave gun manufacturers immunity from prosecution on Saturday night, announcing in a press release that he supports a proposed bill to amend that vote.
The new position is a reversal from statements Sanders and his aides have made throughout the campaign.
He is supporting legislation that Adam Schiff and Richard Blumenthal have introduced which revoke that immunity:
“I'm pleased that this legislation is being introduced," Sanders said of Sen. Richard Blumenthal and Rep. Adam Schiff's proposal to take away immunity from gun manufacturers when their products are used in crimes. "As I have said for many months now, we need to look at the underlying law and tighten it up."
He plans to propose an amendment which would monitor the impact of the legislation on small gunshops in rural areas:
In supporting the legislation, Sanders also said he would propose an amendment to the bill that "would require the Commerce Department to monitor and report on the law's impact in rural areas on the availability of hunting supplies, including firearms, sold by non-negligent local gun stores."
Jeff Weaver denies that there is any reversal of a previous position happening here:
"This is not a flip flop," said Jeff Weaver, Sanders' campaign manager. "This is consistent with the position he held earlier in the campaign."
It’s hard to see how that’s true.
The Clinton campaign welcomes Sanders’ reversal of his previous position:
John Podesta, Clinton's top campaign aide, tweeted Saturday that the campaign "welcomes Senator Sanders' debate-eve conversion, reversing his vote to immunize gun manufacturers."
Should be an interesting night tomorrow night.