A Democrat House Is Ready To Push Universal Background Checks
BY Herschel Smith
5 years, 11 months ago
During the November elections, a number of Democratic House candidates made gun control a central theme of their midterm campaign, and dozens more gave the issue strong emphasis on the trail. Next month, they might have a chance to follow through on their campaign promises with legislation requiring federal background checks on all gun sales.
The legislation isn’t likely to become law. It will be a bit like Republican House efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act back in 2017, said Adam Winkler, a constitutional-law professor at UCLA: a symbolic gesture that never becomes the law of the land, but that nonetheless serves a political purpose.
House Democrats, led by Thompson, are planning to introduce the legislation within the first 100 days of the new Congress, according to a report from Politico on Monday. “The new Democratic majority will act boldly and decisively to pass commonsense, life-saving background checks that are overwhelmingly supported by the American people,” incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a statement. And activists want to do it by February 14, the one-year anniversary of the 2018 shooting in Parkland, Florida.
Oh, I think it’s more than just pro forma legislation. First of all, it isn’t clear to me that the GOP has the guts or belief system in anything but themselves to press back against this, so this stands a chance. Second, I’m not sure what Trump will do, since he doesn’t really believe in anything.
Finally, it’s a sign of things to come. At some point, the democrats will own the White House again, and enough votes in both chambers of Congress to pass universal background checks.
You’re prepared, aren’t you?
On December 20, 2018 at 7:08 am, ragman said:
Captain: that will be 2020. Trump has alienated his base and he indeed stands for nothing. This is the first salvo in the communist gun confiscation scheme. They will eventually outlaw semi autos, require universal registration and finally, confiscation of all Citizen owned firearms. They have always done this and there is no reason that they won’t do it here.
On December 20, 2018 at 9:46 am, Fred said:
If there’s no data base then why do we need background checks?
Another concern with the Red Flag laws is that somebody will file suite under the takings clause and the NRA will back the suite. The problem in this is that the gun controllers win either way. If it’s struck down then Trump’s Red Flag Weapons Seizures will be ‘legal’. But if it becomes accepted that just compensation must be given then this sets the table for a national mandatory buyback.
Pitting coworker against coworker, neighbor against neighbor, family member against family member nobody will have done more damage to American freedom than Trump and his Red Flag laws. This is exactly what the Soviets did.
On December 20, 2018 at 12:13 pm, Towser said:
@Herschel, Aren’t universal background checks already in effect in NC?
@Fred, I share your thoughts on the proliferation of red flag laws.
On December 20, 2018 at 1:42 pm, dad29 said:
I’d be prepared except there was a horrible canoe accident and every piece of hardware I owned went into the lake.
On December 22, 2018 at 2:13 pm, Gryphon said:
Since what the ‘universal background check’ Does is “Require” that Private Sales/Transfers go through a Licensed Dealer (a Recorded Transaction) ANY GUN that is not thus “registered” can be ‘accused’ of being Illegally Transferred and subject to Seizure under those “civil asset forfeiture” ‘laws’ that make the Object of Seizure the “Criminal”.
(((they))) Know that it is Impossible to force the People to “Register” Guns sold before the NICS Check “Registration” System was put in place, so with Outlawing Private Sale/Transfers, ANY GUN can be Seized under the existing (Non-constitutional) Civil Asset Forfeiture framework, where the Citizen must PROVE the “Legal Ownership” of the Property.
See how Easy that Works?