Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.V.) is expressing his opposition to two gun control bills passed by the House of Representatives earlier this month.
“No, I don’t support what the House passed. Not at all,” Manchin said.
Manchin on if he supports the two gun bills that passed the House. “No, I don’t support what the House passed. Not at alll … so I'm still basically where Pat Toomey and I have been” on their narrower approach. But that plan also lacks 60 votes. https://t.co/38nfcoFFPR
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) March 23, 2021
The first bill passed by the House in a 227-203 vote would expand background checks to those who are buying weapons over the internet, at gun shows, and through other private transactions. There were only eight Republicans who supported the measure.
The second bill, passed by a 219-210 vote, would allow authorities 10 business days to complete federal background checks before a gun sale could be licensed.
“I come from a gun culture. I’m a law-abiding gun owner,” Manchin said.
The lawmaker added he supports “basically saying that commercial transactions should be background checked. You don’t know a person.”
Manchin continued, “If I know a person, no.”
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) reiterated on Tuesday the Senate will hold votes on the legislation, “The Senate is going to debate and address the epidemic of gun violence in this country.”
SCHUMER reiterates that the Senate will hold votes on House-passed background checks bills.
— Frank Thorp V (@frankthorp) March 23, 2021
"The Senate is going to debate and address the epidemic of gun violence in this country," he says.
The United States has experienced two fatal mass shootings in less than one week. A gunman shot and killed eight people at three spas in Georgia. In another shooting, 10 people were shot and killed in Boulder, Colorado.
Some Republicans argue Democrats are too quick to take guns away from law-abiding citizens, as IJR reported.
During Tuesday’s Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) said, “We have a lot of drunk drivers in America … We ought to try to combat that too.”
He added, “But I think what many people on my side of the aisle are saying too is the answer is not to get rid of all sober drivers. The answer is to concentrate on the problem.”
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) acknowledged there have been “far too many tragedies in our country.”
He continued, “What happens in this committee after every mass shooting is Democrats propose taking away guns from law-abiding citizens.”