All about guns, legislation and politics in New York
In the latest notice from the Brady Campaign, they admit they don’t have the votes to block H.R. 822 in the Senate:
“I just wanted to update you on the “Packing Heat on Your Street” bill that is moving through Congress. Last Wednesday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed this deadly bill. The bill now moves to the Senate and we are very close to securing the votes needed to defeat it …”
That means they don’t have it now. This is why Chuck Schumer hasn’t been his usual smug self lately.
Chuck Schumer has a really annoying smugness whenever he gets the best of his opposition. He’s not sounding that way over H.R. 822.
From the Watertown Daily Times:
“… The bill passed the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, 272-154, but its future in the Democratic-controlled Senate is in doubt. Sen. Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., has pledged to do what he can to stop the bill in the chamber, according to a report in the New York Daily News …”
From the Daily News:
“… Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) has vowed to work to stop its passage in the Senate …”
From the Post-Standard:
“… “It seems perverse that the first gun-related measure that this Congress plans to take up since the Tucson shooting is one that seeks to dismantle states’ ability to protect their own citizens,” Schumer said. “It’s like a bad dream.” …”
He didn’t sound this way last time around. He was a lot more confident and full of himself. Schumer lost a lot of support after the ’10 elections and both he and the the antis know it. Nobody was asking Obama to veto the measure last year.
As of now Harry Reid has not commented on the bill nor has the Whitehouse, adding to the anti’s hysteria.
Reaction from our Congressional delegation to House passage of HR. 822:
Here’s our press release, “NYSRPA Congratulates House of Representatives on Passage of H.R. 822.”
Here’s the vote sheet for H.R. 822. Those voting in favor were:
The House finished debates on amendments to H.R. 822. Best quote comes from Chris Gibson when he said “This bill is about freedom.”
In this Washington Post story on H.R. 822 is this nugget:
“… The administration has not yet taken an official position on the bill …”
This is important because I’m sure they know about it. Obama could have called the bill D.O.A., but he hasn’t. He could have criticized Congress for talking up guns instead of jobs like Jim McGovern did during yesterdays debates, but he hasn’t done that either. While he might not personally like the idea I suspect he would sign the bill out of political expediency. Doing so would blunt upcoming attacks by the NRA over his re-election campaign. Plus the antigun organizations do not bring anything useful to the table so they cannot really help or hurt him either way.
Congresswoman Ann Marie Buerkle has called for Attorney General Eric Holder’s resignation over the ongoing “Fast and Furious” scandal. Here is a good quote from her letter:
“… Attorney General Holder’s actions have illustrated a disregard to the United States Constitution. The 2nd Amendment is a sacred right of individuals and, unfortunately, its integrity has been undermined by the Attorney General. The Office of the U.S. Attorney General is tasked with upholding and protecting our Constitution …”
I received an e-mail earlier from one of our guys in the district saying that Rep. Kathy Hochul plans to vote for H.R. 822 which now looks like it will come up sometime tomorrow.
Carolyn McCarthy wants to try to add amendments to H.R. 822 allowing states to either opt-in or opt-out of the reciprocity law. It’s not going to happen.