House panel OKs background checks for private gun sales
has offered moments of sil e nce Setting up a vote in the instead of full House later this month, action in the House Judiciary Comthe wake of mittee voted along party gun tragelines last week to approve dies,” John- a bill to extend background son added checks on gun sales to all priafter the vate gun transactions, along committee’s vote. “That with a separate measure to era is over.” give law enforcement more “A huge volume of guns time to deal with background is sold with no questions check investigations. asked,” said Rep. Jerry
The vote comes as Demo- Nadler, D-N.Y., chairman crats moved forward on one of the House Judiciary Comof their prime agenda items mittee. “It is time to close now that their party controls this dangerous loophole,” the U.S. House. as Democrats argued more
“This is common sense legcomplete background checks islation to protect the pub- would help stem gun vio- lic,” said Rep. Hank Johnlence. son, D-Ga. said of the bill “Even Justice Scalia in the to extend the requirement Heller decision said that Sec- for background checks to ond Amendment rights are all gun sales, even private not absolute,” Nadler added. transactions between indiThe votes came over 10 viduals, whether in person, hours after the commitor over the internet. tee had convened, as GOP
“For far too long, Congress lawmakers prolonged the debate by offering a number of amendments, forc- ing Democrats to repeatedly vote down a series of Republican proposals.
“This isn’t a debate, it’s a show,” complained Rep. Val Demings, D-Fla. “Universal background checks for all gun sales are common sense.”
Unable to stop the bill, GOP lawmakers charged the Democratic plans would do nothing to rein in gun vio- lence.
“I think it sort of makes us feel better without addressing the problem,” said Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., of the bill backed by most Dem- ocrats and a smaller group of Republicans. “It doesn’t really seem to be about background checks.”
“It’s a bill that’s unenforceable on its face,” said Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La.
“In the clamor to do something to combat mass violence, you and your col- You can hear Jamie Dupree’s reports from Washington daily on AM 1290 and News 95.7 WHIO leagues crafted a bill that manages to do nothing,” argued Rep. Doug Collins, R-Ga.
Under the plan going to the House floor, any private gun transaction would require a background check. Republicans complained that could then subject them to government fees to cover the cost of that check, such as the on Valentine’s Day in 2018, $125 tab for a background where 17 students and staff check in Washington, D.C. members were killed by a
“You shouldn’t have to lone gunman. come in and pay $250 in T he committee also Washington to swap guns,” approved a second bill to said Rep. Louie Gohmert, address what has become R-Texas, who said the plan known as the “Charleston amounted to an unconstitu- Loophole” — where a gun tional “poll tax” on the Secsale can proceed if a backond Amendment. ground check is not finished
A GOP effort to reduce the within three days. fee for a background check to Instead, Democrats want zero was defeated, as Demo- to extend that to 10 days, to crats countered that the fees insure that disqualifying eviare used to run the instant dence in background checks check system. isn’t missed simply because
The committee vote of a time deadline. came almost one year to The provision refers to the the day of the mass shoot- mass shooting at a church in ing in Parkland, Florida at Charleston, S.C., where the Marjory Stoneman Douglas gunman was able to buy a High School, which occurred weapon after three days, even though the FBI had not been able to gather all relevant evidence, which would have disqualified Dylan Roof from buying a handgun due to a previous conviction for drug possession.
The committee vote came almost one year to the day of the mass shooting in Parkland, Florida at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.