In case you missed it, as bipartisan momentum continues in Congress to outlaw bump stocks following the mass shooting in Las Vegas, the NRA refused to support legislative action to prohibit the deadly devices in a statement yesterday. Instead, the gun lobby had the audacity to call on Congress to gut state gun laws through its number one priority, “Concealed Carry Reciprocity.”
“Four days after the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history, the gun lobby is not calling for bipartisan legislative action to prohibit bump stocks and is instead audaciously reminding Congress that their number one priority is to gut state gun laws by passing ‘Concealed Carry Reciprocity.’ The gun lobby has for years boosted devices that effectively convert rifles into machine guns and boasted that you can get away with guns that mimic fully-automatic fire, so it’s hardly a surprise that they’re calling for a review of bump stocks by a friendly regulatory agency rather than legislation from Congress.”
While the gun lobby shamefully uses this moment to call for weaker gun laws that would put more lives at risk, House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) this week refused to say if, or when, he will schedule a vote on the NRA-backed SHARE Act, which would roll back silencer safety laws and make it easy for people with dangerous histories to buy silencers without a background check. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) asked President Trump to issue a veto threat against the silencers legislation, while House Democrats called on Ryan to permanently pull the SHARE Act from the House floor. This is the second time the legislation has been delayed after a high-profile shooting.
Media continue to uncover deeper ties between the Trump family and silencer manufacturers that would profit from passage of the SHARE Act
And USA Today has also called for Ryan to permanently shelve the SHARE Act and take action to address America’s gun violence epidemic, calling it “pathetic” that he has refused to do so:
Gun laws in America are already so weak, it must be tough to find ways to make them even looser. But you’ve got to give gun lobbyists credit. They’ve come up with some new ideas and found allies in Congress to promote them, even as the nation mourns the 58 people mowed down at a music festival in Las Vegas.
At the top of the wish list: a push to make it easier to buy gun silencers and harder to restrict armor-piercing bullets.
These ideas would, at best, place the convenience of gun owners over the safety of the public. At worst, they would put innocent people and police officers in graver danger. …
Curbing gun violence should be at the top of Congress’ agenda. Instead, at the gun lobby’s behest, it is looking at weakening existing restrictions. Pathetic.
More information about the proposed legislation to gut silencer safety laws is available here. If you have additional questions about this dangerous legislation, or more, don’t hesitate to reach out.
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