PoliticsPoliticsCongressGun Control

Chuck Grassley May Support Gun Control Bills Involving School Security, Trafficking

GOP Senator Warms To Gun Control Measures
Reuters
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WASHINGTON - SEPTEMBER 25: Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA) participates in a Senate Finance Committee mark up session on the health care reform legislation on Capitol Hill September 25, 2009 in Washington, DC. Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) has been working closely with a handful of Republican and Democratic senators, to reach a compromise in the legislation but has yet to reach a bill that the opposing sides can agree on. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

* Iowa's Grassley warm to school security, anti-trafficking plans

* For proposed ban on "assault" weapons, another hurdle

* Senate Judiciary Committee takes up four bills on Thursday

By Thomas Ferraro

WASHINGTON, March 5 (Reuters) - The top Republican on the Democrat-led U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee said on Tuesday that he may back at least two of the four gun-control bills that the panel will consider this week.

Iowa Senator Charles Grassley's support could help both measures - one aimed at cracking down on illegal gun trafficking, the other designed to bolster security at schools - pass the Senate.

But Grassley, echoing many other Republicans in Congress, said he would not support a plan to renew a ban on the sale of military-style, semi-automatic "assault" weapons.

Grassley's reluctance to embrace the assault weapons ban - and his hesitance on another measure that would expand background checks on prospective gun buyers - reflect the difficulty that Democrats are likely to face in getting a comprehensive gun-control package through Congress.

President Barack Obama has backed a range of proposals aimed at reducing gun violence, a cause that has taken on greater urgency since 20 children and six adults were killed by a gunman at a Connecticut school in December.

Grassley and other Republicans say that the most controversial proposal - reviving the federal ban on the sale of assault weapons that was in effect for a decade before expiring in 2004 - amounts to a violation of Americans' constitutional right to bear arms.

"That bill isn't going anywhere," Grassley told Reuters, voicing the sentiment of many on both sides of Washington's political divide.

Grassley said he is undecided about the bill that would require criminal and mental-health background checks of all gun buyers. Currently, 40 percent of buyers are not screened, mostly involving sales among private individuals.

The Judiciary Committee, with 10 Democrats and eight Republicans, will consider the four gun-control bills on Thursday, and amendments to them are likely. All four are expected to be reported out of committee and sent to the full Senate.

CONCERNS ABOUT REGISTRATION

Four senators - Democrats Charles Schumer of New York and Joe Manchin of West Virginia, and Republicans Tom Coburn of Oklahoma and Mark Kirk of Illinois - have been working on a background-check bill for weeks. But they have not been able to reach a compromise on how records of gun sales should be handled.

Democrats say that a record of private sales, which would show whether a background check was conducted, must be kept to be able to enforce the proposed new law.

But Coburn fears that such records could clear the way to registration of guns, which gun-rights groups have long opposed, a senior Senate aide said.

"Everyone is scared of this stuff leading to registration," Grassley said.

Even so, he said, "There might be something done on background checks." He said he needed to talk further with colleagues before making a decision.

If there is no bipartisan agreement on background checks, Schumer may offer a bill that has no Republican co-sponsors and would require record-keeping of private gun sales, a Senate aide said.

Such a bill could face a possible Republican roadblock that would require 60 votes to clear in the 100-member Senate. Democrats control the chamber, 55-45.

Grassley said he may back a bill offered by Democratic Senator Barbara Boxer of California to bolster school security - if she agrees to cut its cost.

"Her bill could become a bipartisan bill," Grassley said.

Boxer said that in response to Grassley's complaints, she had decided to slash the proposed annual cost from $100 million to $40 million.

Separately, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Democratic Senator Mark Begich of Alaska plan to offer a bill on Wednesday aimed at providing better treatment for the mentally ill and keeping them from getting firearms, aides said. (Editing by David Lindsey and Philip Barbara)

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Before You Go

Pivotal Moments In The Federal Gun Control Debate
1981: The Attempted Assassination Of President Ronald Reagan(01 of10)
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on March 30, 1981, President Reagan and three others were shot and wounded in an assassination attempt by John Hinckley, Jr. outside the Washington Hilton Hotel in Washington, D.C. Reagan's press secretary, Jim Brady, was shot in the head. (credit:Ron Edmonds, AP)
1993: The Brady Handgun Violence Act (02 of10)
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The Brady Handgun Violence Act of 1993, signed into law by President Bill Clinton, mandated that federally licensed dealers complete comprehensive background checks on individuals before selling them a gun. The legislation was named for James Brady, who was shot during an attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan in 1981.
1994: The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act(03 of10)
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The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act, signed into law by President Bill Clinton in 1994, instituted a ban on 19 kinds of assault weapons, including Uzis and AK-47s. The crime bill also banned the possession of magazines holding more than ten rounds of ammunition. (An exemption was made for weapons and magazines manufactured prior to the ban.)
2004: Law Banning Magazines Holding More Than Ten Rounds Of Ammunition Expires(04 of10)
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In 2004, ten years after it first became law, Congress allowed a provision banning possession of magazines holding more than ten rounds of ammunition to expire through a sunset provision. Brady Campaign President Paul Helmke told HuffPost that the expiration of this provision meant that Rep. Gabby Giffords's alleged shooter was able to fire off 20-plus shots without reloading (under the former law he would have had only ten).
2007: The U.S. Court of Appeals For The District Of Columbia Rules In Favor Of Dick Heller(05 of10)
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In 2007 The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruled to allow Dick Heller, a licensed District police officer, to keep a handgun in his home in Washington, D.C. Following that ruling, the defendants petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to hear the case.
2008: The NICS Improvement Amendments Act(06 of10)
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Following the deadly shooting at Virginia Tech University, Congress passed legislation to require states provide data on mentally unsound individuals to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, with the aim of halting gun purchases by the mentally ill, and others prohibited from possessing firearms. The bill was signed into law by President George W. Bush in January of 2008.
2008: Supreme Court Strikes Down D.C. Handgun Ban As Unconstitutional(07 of10)
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In June of 2008, the United States Supreme Court upheld the verdict of a lower court ruling the D.C. handgun ban unconstitutional in the landmark case District of Columbia v. Heller.
Gabrielle Giffords And Trayvon Martin Shootings(08 of10)
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Gun control advocates had high hopes that reform efforts would have increased momentum in the wake of two tragic events that rocked the nation.In January of 2011, Jared Loughner opened fire at an event held by Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.), killing six and injuring 13, including the congresswoman. Resulting attempts to push gun control legislation proved fruitless, with neither proposal even succeeding in gaining a single GOP co-sponsor.More than a year after that shooting, Florida teenager Trayvon Martin was gunned down by George Zimmerman in an event that some believed would bring increased scrutiny on the nation's Stand Your Ground laws. While there has been increasing discussion over the nature of those statutes, lawmakers were quick to concede that they had little faith the event would effectively spur gun control legislation, thanks largely to the National Rifle Association's vast lobbying power.Read more here: (credit:AP)
Colorado Movie Theater Shooting(09 of10)
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In July of 2012, a heavily armed gunman opened fire on theatergoers attending a midnight premiere of the final film of the latest Batman trilogy, killing 12 and wounding scores more.The suspect, James Eagan Holmes, allegedly carried out the act with a number of handguns, as well as an AR-15 assault rifle with a 100-round drum magazine.Some lawmakers used the incident, which took place in a state with some of the laxest gun control laws, to bring forth legislation designed to place increased regulations on access to such weapons, but many observers, citing previous experience, were hesitant to say that they would be able to overcome the power of the National Rifle Association and Washington gun lobby. (credit:AP)
Sikh Temple Shooting(10 of10)
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On August 5, 2012, white supremacist Wade Michael Page opened fire on a Sikhs gathered at a temple in Oak Creek, Wis., killing six and wounding four more before turning the gun on himself. (credit:AP)
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