Firearm Accessory Used in Las Vegas Massacre Renews Questions About Gun Control
Feinstein said she and Democratic leaders chose to pursue a narrow bill on bump stocks because it has a better chance of success in the GOP-controlled Congress than the more sweeping gun measures they would prefer.
Bump stocks are legal modifications that can be affixed to semi-automatic weapons, allowing for rapid fire shooting on par with fully automatic machine guns, which are banned in the U.S.
A backlash against “bump stock” gun accessories, which enable rifles to be turned into rapid-fire guns, grew in the U.S. Congress on Thursday as House Speaker Paul Ryan opened the door to possible debate on controlling the devices. An excerpt from the interview aired on MSNBC. “I’m looking at ways to proceed with legislation to ban bump fire stocks.Doing nothing in the wake of this tragedy is not an option”.
The devices are known as “bump stocks”, among other names. “To that end, on behalf of our 5 million members across the country, we urge Congress to pass National Right-to-Carry reciprocity, which will allow law-abiding Americans to defend themselves and their families from acts of violence”.
Curbelo’s bill is expected to be filed in the House by the end of the week, while a bill banning the devices by Democrat Dianne Feinstein’s is picking up cautious GOP support in the Senate.
While bump stocks are not illegal in the United States – even though they essentially convert a semi-automatic weapon to an automatic one – automatic weapons manufactured after May 19, 1986, are illegal to own.
“I don’t know what to do except to continue to fight because reason doesn’t control this situation”, said Sen.
Witnesses said the barrage Paddock unleashed from his 32nd-floor hotel room sounded like a “machine gun” and audio analysis from The New York Times comparing the Las Vegas sound to the semi-automatic rifle used in the Pulse nightclub shooting in 2016 appears to show a weapon with automatic capabilities.
It’s unclear how the legislation would be drafted, but the easiest way would be to simply reverse current ATF policy rather than institute a ban on the manufacture and sales of the accessories.
“‘Thoughts and prayers’ while they head to the bank to cash their NRA check”, she said on the Capitol steps.
“I don’t think this should be politicized and viewed as an opportunity to try to limit the second amendment rights of law-abiding citizens”, Cornyn said.
Curbelo’s bill is expected to be filed in the next day or two.
But White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said on Thursday that she welcomed the NRA’s latest statement, adding that the administration is “certainly open to having that conversation”.
Republican Sens. John Cornyn and Ron Johnson are among the few GOP lawmakers considering moving forward with the ban legislation.
Then Wednesday morning, Sen. “Congress has an obligation to implement laws that make people safer”.
But in the aftermath of the Newtown shooting, many Republicans similarly expressed a willingness to revisit gun control legislation.