Senate Democrats Drop Assault Weapons Ban
Bad news for anyone hoping for real action from Congress on preventing horrific crimes like the Newtown massacre: Assault Weapons Ban Loses Steam.
After a meeting with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) on Monday, a frustrated Feinstein said she learned that the bill she sponsored — which bans 157 different models of assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines — wouldn’t be part of a Democratic gun bill to be offered on the Senate floor. Instead, it can be offered as an amendment. But its exclusion from the package makes what was already an uphill battle an almost certain defeat.
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“My understanding is it will not be [part of the base bill],” Feinstein said. “It will be separate.”
Asked if she were concerned about the decision, Feinstein paused and said, “Sure. I would like to [see the bill moved], but the leader has decided not to do it.”
“You will have to ask him [Reid],” she said, when asked why the decision was made.
Clearly, this news pleases the NRA greatly:
Ban on commonly owned semi-automatic rifles dropped from Senate gun control bill! foxnews.com/politics/2013/… #StopFeinstein
— NRA (@NRA) March 19, 2013