Dateline Washington — Senators rejected two gun background proposals this evening largely along party lines a week after the worst mass shooting in U.S. history.
Senators voted 53-47 on a proposal from Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) that would reauthorize funding for the National Criminal Instant Background Check System and incentivize states to share mental health records with the federal system.
But 60 votes were needed to move forward with the proposal.
GOP Sens. Mark Kirk (IL) and Cory Gardner (CO) voted against moving forward with Mr. Grassley’s proposal. Democratic Sen. Joe Donnelly (IN) supported it.
The Grassley proposal would also have cracked down on preventing government agencies from selling guns to criminals as part of undercover sting operations such as the Fast and Furious operation, in which guns were sold to suspected gun traffickers.
“Unlike Sen. Grassley’s proposal, the Democratic alternative would not help prevent failed gun operations like fast and furious,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said. “Unlike Sen. Grassley’s proposal it would not require the Dept. of Justice to explain why it has not been using gun laws on the books to prosecute cases.”
But Democrats resoundingly rejected the GOP background check measure, arguing it would do little to make sure potential criminals or terrorists couldn’t buy a gun.
“It’s a shield for members who don’t want to do the right thing,” said Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CN), who led a recent unofficial filibuster on gun control.
Mr. Grassley and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) offered a similar proposal during the Senate’s 2013 gun control debate, but it also largely fell along party lines.
Instead Democrats largely backed a measure from Sens. Charles Schumer (D-NY), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Richard Blumenthal (D-CN) and Murphy, that would require a background check for most sales or transfers of guns.
But that measure, which also needed 60 votes, failed in a 44-56 vote.
Democrats have pledged for months to push for expanding background checks in the wake of a string of recent high-profile shootings, but their effort faces an uphill battle in a GOP-controlled Congress.
“The Murphy legislation is very broad…and I think that there are concerns about it,” Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) told reporters today about the proposal. “I’ve previously said that I think it’s important to fix the current system.”
Sen. Pat Toomey (R-PA) noting that the Democrats’ proposal went further than legislation he authored with Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV)) in 2013, blasted his colleagues for “talking past each other.”
Democratic Sens. Manchin, Heidi Heitkamp (ND) and Jon Tester (MT) voted against moving forward with the proposal. Sen. Kirk (IL), the most vulnerable GOP incumbent up in November, supported it.
Both of the measures were widely expected to fall short today. Senators will now vote on two proposals to block suspected terrorists from buying guns, which are also expected to fall short.
Two more votes are due on legislation aimed at preventing suspected terrorists from being able to buy guns. Both of those measures will also require 60 votes to advance, and are both expected to fail.
All of the proposals are being offered as amendments to the Commerce, Justice and Science appropriations bill.
This story originally appeared at www.thehill.com
