More than a month after 20 kids were killed at a grade school in Newtown, Connecticut, California Senator Dianne Feinstein, as promised, has proposed a new ban on some military style assault rifles and large capacity magazines.
On Thursday, Senator Feinstein detailed her proposals on Capitol Hill.
She said the goal of the proposed ban, an update to a previous ban that expired in 2004, is to “dry up the supply of these weapons over time.”
But U.S. Senator Joe Manchin says he is skeptical.
“You have to have people with expertise,” U.S. Senator Joe Manchin said of those putting together the possible new gun regulations in the wake of the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary.
“I told the Vice President, I said, ‘Mr. Vice President, with all due respect, there’s not a law abiding, legitimate gun owner and enthusiast, whether they’re an NRA member or not, that will believe that you or any member of your commission would fight for their rights and their guns, ’cause you don’t come from that environment or that culture,’” the Senator said.
Vice President Joe Biden lead the panel that put together the recommendations that became the basis for President Barack Obama’s gun control proposals, including a requirement for universal background checks.
Senator Manchin says he is working on a bipartisan bill that would require background checks for gun purchases in most cases.
“The exceptions are the families, immediate family members, some sporting events that you’re going to, if you’re just going to be using them at the sporting events. So we’re looking and talking to people with expertise. I’m working with the NRA, to be honest with you, and talking to them,” he said on Thursday’s MetroNews Talkline.
Officials with that NRA are leading the opposition to Sen. Feinstein’s proposal.
If approved, the proposal would do the following:
- Ban the sale, transfer, importation or manufacturing of about 150 named firearms, plus certain rifles, handguns and shotguns fitted for detachable magazines and having at least one military characteristic.
- Strengthen the 1994 ban by moving from a two- to a one-characteristic test to determine what constitutes an assault weapon.
- Ban firearms with “thumbhole stocks” and “bullet buttons.”
- Ban the importation of assault weapons and large-capacity magazines.
- Ban high-capacity ammunition magazines that hold more than 10 rounds.
Exceptions would be made for guns legally owned before passage of the ban.
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Comments
bulldog95
How about someone asking the president where all the urgency was when major Hassid or however you spell his name killed those people at the military base. Where was the urgency to ban weapons from the Auro movie theater, or Gabby Giffords. Oh thats right, thats because an election was around the corner and they knew it would cost them dearly, but now thats it over they can do what they really want although they know good a well the American public doesnt want what they want.
January 24, 2013 at 2:47 pm | Report comment
GSCSBB1
I still don't see what a thumbhole stock has anything to do with all of this. It's just a hole in a gun stock. DUMB!
January 24, 2013 at 3:02 pm | Report comment
Alum
It, it, it.... uh, uh.... it looks so scary!!!!
Yes, dumb does sum it up nicely.
January 24, 2013 at 5:59 pm | Report comment
Damion
You can not legislate away evil. Banning a laundry list of firearms that scare certain people is an exercise in deluded muddle headness.
Is there any interest in determing how to identify and stop people from going on killing rages? Oh, that's too difficult isn't it?
So let's take things away from the law abiding. That makes a lot more sense.
January 24, 2013 at 3:49 pm | Report comment
Jim
A few points, 1st. tasking Joe Biden with seeking input from the various interests was like placing Count Dracula in charge of the blood bank. 2nd. those meetings were mere window dressing by Obama and his libera ilk, which already had their ducks in row and knew exactly what measures would be proposed. Now, either Joe Biden is the best "step & fetch it" man a president ever had or he was the most naive VP ever. In either case he was part of the dupe or was duped--either inexcusable. 3rd. Diane Feinstein has been coiled like a snake in the grass to again pounce on gun control. She was just waiting for the election and the wink & nod from Obama to proceed. As one reviews Obama's proposals, Feinstein's and Cuomo's NY law, it is abundantly clear that collective, liberals screaming for gun control are clueless and don't know the difference between a bullet and a cartridge, yet they somehow know what firearms should be banned and what firearms "you need" . I'm reminded of the old adage: "don't confuse me with the facts, I already have my mind made up!"
January 24, 2013 at 4:28 pm | Report comment
Lee
Joe, you are so right
January 24, 2013 at 4:37 pm | Report comment
Shadow
Boxer is either the bravest woman in the World, or the dumbest, or a sum of the two. She is proposing a law with a very slippery slope and against our basic freedoms. No good can some of it being passed and passage, if it would occur, will produce enormous civil disobedience in every State.
January 24, 2013 at 5:45 pm | Report comment
Shadow
I made a mistake, it was Sen. Feinstein instead of Boxer but the are both anti-gun and the comments applies to both
January 24, 2013 at 5:48 pm | Report comment
Teufel
Common mistake, there not much difference between the two
January 24, 2013 at 8:36 pm | Report comment
Tim C
All I can say is......Come and get my mine, if you dare!
January 24, 2013 at 5:50 pm | Report comment
progun
so what happens when it is discovered that an "assault rifle" wasn't used at sandyhook. what is the governments' definition of "assault rifle" anyway ?
January 24, 2013 at 5:54 pm | Report comment
The Mule
If you come for mine, bring yours!
January 24, 2013 at 6:27 pm | Report comment
larry k
Sen. Feinstein has been anti gun since the Cleveland elem school shootings in Stockton CA 24 years ago. Calif has a twenty four year history to show the ineffectiveness of gun bans. Her and her party used children effectively then to push thru the gun ban there. Not at all surprising.
January 24, 2013 at 6:31 pm | Report comment
Teufel
Looks like Joe moved to riding the fence on this one - he gonna snag his his sack on a post - again lol......
I feel his initial statement and back pedaling shows he not representing WV gun owners.
January 24, 2013 at 8:42 pm | Report comment
Jim
I love this country,
it's the government I'm afraid of.
January 24, 2013 at 9:36 pm | Report comment
Ben
People have been killing other people since Cain and Abel. Ban or not evil people will still find a way to kill the innocent. What they need to do is leave office and let a God fearing man appoint other God fearing men to run this country and worry about more important issues besides thumbhole stocks
January 24, 2013 at 9:51 pm | Report comment
Jim
Here stands Obama at his "gun control press conference", his props are mere children that have no real idea what the whole gun debate is about and to add insult to injury, he stands there and lectures Americans on the need to ban assulat rifles, limit magazine capacity and perform more background checks, etc., all the while his administration let over 2,000 weapons "walk" across the Mexican Border. Those ATF weapons have been responsible for hundreds of Mexican death and a U.S. Border Patrol Agent. Now more than two years later, not one person in the Obama Adm. has been held accountable and Obama, Joe (the mouth) Biden and Eric Holder and their ilk want to lecture me about firearms LAW ABIDING CITIZENS can own??? What is more amazing, nobody seems to care about Fast & Furious, where the U.S. Gov't is DIRECTLY responsible for hundreds of deaths???
January 24, 2013 at 10:13 pm | Report comment
WV Patriot
Can anyone confirm that the shooter in Connecticut used multiple semi-auto handgun in lieu of the AR-15? I am now hearing he didn't even use the AR-15. All this discussion has done is drive up the prices of the subject guns and the hoarding of ammo. Solve the problem and not the symptom.
January 24, 2013 at 11:07 pm | Report comment
Mac
Who knows... Getting accurate information out of Connecticut is like trying to find Amelia Earhart...
What was reported was that he had multiple AR-15s and multiple handguns.
January 25, 2013 at 8:49 am | Report comment
Teufel
The early reports stated that he had two handguns on his person and that officers found an AR15 in the trunk of his car.
That story changed some time later and still has not been clarified.. On Sunday Virginia Congressman Goodlatte posed that very question and stated that an offical police report has not been released.
I look forward to seeing the answer.
January 25, 2013 at 12:52 pm | Report comment