In a seemingly endless effort to oppose the will of the majority of voters, Congress is yet again poised to take up a new push for gun control. Details of the new effort are unknown at this point, but a Republican and a Democrat Senator admit they are working together to craft legislation aimed at cutting down access to firearms.
In the wake of the Charleston shooting, Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) are considering ways to renew their failed push to pass meaningful gun control legislation.
In separate interviews Tuesday night at a reception before a ceremony hosted by Sandy Hook families to honor Toomey, they discussed their desire to find a new way forward.
“We want to make sure we have the votes. Pat’s going to have to, and I’ll work with him, to get some of our colleagues on the Republican side,” Manchin said, adding he hasn’t talked directly to Toomey about a revival.
What kind of legislation they’ll push is still a mystery. That said, the last bill proposed (and failed) by Toomey and Manchin called for background checks for sales/transfers at gun shows and required states to provide gun data to a national database.
This new push is clearly coming as a result of the deadly North Carolina shooting. Problem is, the shooter was given the gun as a gift and had a criminal background. Meaning, nothing Toomey and Manchin wanted to pass would have stopped the shooting.
We’ll keep an eye on this as it develops.