Saturday, June 4, 2022

House to Take Up New Gun Measure: H.R. 7910 The "Protecting Our Kids Act"

Public Majority Demands Positive Action

To stop recent mass killings with this weapon

Common sense proposal that is sorely needed

Report from CNN (and other major sources) with this headline (formatted to fit the blog):

“House Judiciary Committee approves wide-ranging gun control legislation in wake of mass shootings”

Text of Proposed House Legislation

The House Judiciary Committee passed by party-line vote the proposed H.R. 7910: The “Protecting Our Kids Act” (Agreed to by a roll call vote of 25 Yes (DEM members), and 19 No (REPUB members). Read draft copy pdf format click here.

The House Judiciary Committee on Thursday approved a wide-ranging package of gun control legislation as lawmakers face intense pressure to act in the wake of recent mass shootings.

However, the measure is not expected to pass the Senate, however, amid widespread GOP opposition to stricter gun control. 

A bipartisan group of senators is engaging in talks in an attempt to find common ground on gun policy, but it is still unclear what, if anything, will come of the effort. 

After a nearly ten-hour long session during what was originally scheduled as a recess week, the committee voted 25-19 along party lines (noted above), a procedural step before the full House votes on the package.

House Democrats are moving to tee up votes on gun bills in the aftermath of a series of horrific shootings that have shocked the nation, including at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, and a supermarket in a predominantly Black neighborhood in Buffalo, New York. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced earlier on Thursday that the full House will vote next week on the bill.

The legislation includes a series of individual bills aimed at preventing gun violence (see above chart) and below:

1. The measure would raise the legal age to buy certain semiautomatic centerfire rifles from 18 to 21 years old

2. It would establish new Federal offenses for gun trafficking and selling large-capacity magazines.

3. It would allow local governments through a buy back program to compensate individuals who surrender such magazines.

4. It would create a tax incentive for retail sales of safe storage devices and criminal penalties for breaking new requirements regulating firearm storage on residential premises.

5. It would also take steps to strengthen federal regulations on bump stocks and ghost guns.

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler (D-NY) called for the passage of the measures to prevent gun violence, emphasizing a sense of urgency after what happened in Uvalde and Buffalo as well as other incidents, saying: “We have to enact strong laws to protect our people. And if all these mass shootings don't do it, I don't know what willadding he was hopeful that this time may be different, but concluding:I can't speak for the Senate. I hope they do the right thing.”

Most legislation requires 60 votes to overcome a filibuster and pass in the Senate and Democrats only control 50 seats. 

At least 10 Republicans would need to vote with Democrats to pass new gun laws as a result, an unlikely prospect. That deep partisan divide over the issue was clear during the Committee’s markup as Republicans objected 100% to the legislative package of gun control measures.

Article continues here and also at my post that follows this one.

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My 2 Cents: I hope all DEMS will stick together and at least 10 brave Republicans will stand with them and the vast majority of the public who wants this kind of bill passed to help stop the gun madness and horrible violence by doing the right thing.

Positive, common sense gun policy is long overdue and we need to end this gun madness now without infringing on 2nd Amendment rights, which this bill does not. 

Thanks for stopping by.


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