Gun Legislation Stalls as Congressional Leaders Trade Barbs

[Judi Lynn]

This discussion thread was locked as off-topic by Omaha Steve (a host of the Latest Breaking News forum).

Source: Associated Press


Congress appears no closer to approving legislation to curb gun violence as President Donald Trump wavers.
By Associated Press, Wire Service Content?Sept. 10, 2019, at 9:54 p.m.

BY LISA MASCARO AND MATTHEW DALY, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday that Democrats are engaging in "theatrics" over gun control legislation, while House Speaker Nancy Pelosi warned that "people are dying" because the Senate leader refuses to act.

After a summer of devastating mass shootings, Congress appears no closer to approving legislation to curb gun violence as President Donald Trump wavers on what kind of bill he wants the lawmakers to send for his signature.

"Lives are at stake," Pelosi told reporters, visibly shaken by questions asking if the House could have done more.

"Don't ask me what we haven't done. We have done it," Pelosi said. "If you are annoyed with my impatience it's because people are dying because Senator McConnell hasn't acted. Why don't you go ask him if he has any regrets for all the people who died because he hasn't acted?"

McConnell refuses to allow a vote on a House-passed bill to expand background checks for gun purchases because he says it's not clear the Senate would be able to pass the legislation or that Trump would sign it into law.

Read more: https://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2019-09-10/mcconnell-democratic-theatrics-wont-determine-gun-vote

[turbinetree]

1. The media.......................asking if there could have been more...........WTF.................

"Lives are at stake," Pelosi told reporters, visibly shaken by questions asking if the House could have done more.

"Don't ask me what we haven't done. We have done it," Pelosi said. "If you are annoyed with my impatience it's because people are dying because Senator McConnell hasn't acted. Why don't you go ask him if he has any regrets for all the people who died because he hasn't acted?"


Speaker Pelosi.......................

[Doitnow]

2. Good on Speaker Pelosi for reminding the press that her part of the "Congress," the House, has done

it's job. The press would do well to differentiate between the two bodies as to who is to blame for not getting things done. I'd like to see the day when one body passes a bill, it automatically gets debated and voted on in the other. Sounds democratic to me. Why should any one person have the right to deny voting.

The Senate may not be able to pass a bill, but at least the public would see who is for or against a bill and vote on that member accordingly.

[BumRushDaShow]

3. "I'd like to see the day when one body passes a bill, it automatically gets debated and voted on"

That's what is known as "regular order" and it is something the GOP had pretty much eliminated by 2014, when they had gained control of both chambers, essentially making the "Hastert Rule" ("majority of the majority" in order to move a bill forward) a permanent fixture.

Upon the 2018 election and retaking the House, Democrats had to drag the chamber back into "regular order" despite the fact that the GOP-run Senate refuses to do so themselves.

"Regular order" would mean you vote on bills and if they pass both chambers, they get sent to the President to either sign or veto. The bullshit of not sending the President any bill unless it is signed is a ridiculous distortion of the process and mocks the concept of the separation of powers.

[Maxheader]

4. How utterly predictable...

Is the bottleneck a result of voter apprehension?...

[Omaha Steve]

5. After a review by forum hosts....LOCKING

Analysis.