A new firearms bill in the wash
Posted: Wed Feb 27, 2019 10:20 pm
One new bill got out of the House of Representatives today but will find tough going in the Republican controlled Senate.
The U.S. House passed a bill Wednesday that would expand background checks for those wanting to purchase firearms.
The Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019 passed 240-190, with eight Republicans supporting the measure. None of those were from Alabama – all GOP members of the state’s delegation voted against the bill. Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Birmingham, was the only Alabama delegation member to support the measure................
The measure would require background checks on firearms sales made at gun shows and over the internet. Current law requires only that federally licensed firearms dealers conduct background checks before selling a gun.
The bill is expected to die in the Republican-controlled Senate. President Trump has already vowed to veto it if it did make it to his desk.
Republicans did manage to include an amendment to the bill that would require federal immigration officials to be contacted in the event someone in the U.S. illegally tried to buy a gun. More than two dozen Democrats broke rank to support the amendment.
The background check bill isn’t the only gun control measure to come before the House this week. On Thursday, another bill that would lengthen the review period for background checks will be up for a vote. Current law allows a gun sale to proceed if a background check hasn’t been processed within three days. The proposal would extend that deadline to 10 days.
The U.S. House passed a bill Wednesday that would expand background checks for those wanting to purchase firearms.
The Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019 passed 240-190, with eight Republicans supporting the measure. None of those were from Alabama – all GOP members of the state’s delegation voted against the bill. Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Birmingham, was the only Alabama delegation member to support the measure................
The measure would require background checks on firearms sales made at gun shows and over the internet. Current law requires only that federally licensed firearms dealers conduct background checks before selling a gun.
The bill is expected to die in the Republican-controlled Senate. President Trump has already vowed to veto it if it did make it to his desk.
Republicans did manage to include an amendment to the bill that would require federal immigration officials to be contacted in the event someone in the U.S. illegally tried to buy a gun. More than two dozen Democrats broke rank to support the amendment.
The background check bill isn’t the only gun control measure to come before the House this week. On Thursday, another bill that would lengthen the review period for background checks will be up for a vote. Current law allows a gun sale to proceed if a background check hasn’t been processed within three days. The proposal would extend that deadline to 10 days.