Will Congress ban the ‘bump’?
Deadly gun accessory from Vegas massacre:
Even the National Rifle Association is calling for beefed-up regulations on bump stocks.
“The NRA believes that devices designed to allow semiautomatic rifles to function like fully automatic rifles should be subject to additional regulations,” the powerful gun lobby said in a statement Thursday — its first since a shooter used the controversial gun accessory to mow down concertgoers in Las Vegas.
The statement came after both the White House and House Speaker Paul Ryan said they’re OK with the idea of cracking down on bump stocks.
“We’re certainly open to that moving forward, but we want to be part of that conversation as it takes place in the coming days and weeks,” White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Thursday.
Ryan (R-Wis.) told MSNBC, “Fully automatic weapons have been banned for a long time. Apparently, this allows you to take a semiautomatic, turn it into a fully automatic, so clearly, that’s something that we need to look into.”
Ryan, an avid hunter, noted that he’d never even heard of the device until the Vegas massacre.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives could ban the device without congressional action if it reverses a previous decision that found bump stocks were compliant with federal law.
“I think the ATF can do this quickly. They can make a deter- mination. If they drag their heels on it . . . we’ll look at legislative solutions,” said Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.), who is spearheading a bipartisan effort to have the agency review the law.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) already introduced a bill on Wednesday to ban bump stocks and similar devices. The bill had the support of 38 Democrats as of Thursday.
And Reps. Carlos Curbelo (RFla.) and Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) said Thursday that they are introducing a House bill that would ban only bump stocks — with Curbelo telling The Washington Post that he’s been “flooded” with requests from other GOP lawmakers to sign on.
But House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) — who was shot at a GOP baseball practice over the summer — said Thursday that his colleagues are jumping the gun on what he dubbed a “panacea law.”
“I do think it’s a little bit early for people to say they know what to do to fix this problem,” he told NBC’s “Meet the Press” in a segment to air on Sunday.
Bump stocks are already banned at many gun ranges — including the one at NRA headquarters, according to Politico.
Still, the device’s newfound infamy has resulted in a surge of sales since Sunday’s massacre, according to a report.
Several gun stores told ABC Australia that they’ve been fielding a flood of calls from interested customers since the attack — and claim their suppliers are out of stock.