[h=3]By KRISTINA PETERSON[/h]WASHINGTON—Senate lawmakers were expected to vote Thursday on whether to bring a gun bill to the floor of the chamber, following a bipartisan deal reached a day earlier to expand background checks for firearms sales.
The new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll indicates strong support for giving citizenship to illegal immigrants. Those polled also favor strict gun laws. Colleen McCain Nelson has details. Photo: AP Images.
Wednesday's agreement bolstered support for one of President Barack Obama's top priorities following December's Newtown, Conn., school shooting, though the Senate could debate gun control through the end of April.
"I would hope we can reach an agreement to begin debate on the bill today," said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D., Nev.), who added that he was confident Democrats had the votes to overcome a Republican effort to block the bill.
Wednesday's agreement, crafted by Sens. Joe Manchin (D., W.Va.) and Pat Toomey (R., Pa.) and backed by Sens. Charles Schumer (D., N.Y.) and Mark Kirk (R., Ill.), would require background checks—and paper records of the checks—for sales at gun shows and over the Internet. The bipartisan agreement considerably boosts the chances of the Senate passing an expansion of background checks.
[h=3]Timeline: Gun Control in the U.S.[/h]Since the American Revolution, when colonists went to war against Great Britain, the right to bear arms has been central to—and controversial in—American culture.
[h=3]Map: Gun Laws by State[/h]
Still, immediate resistance from the National Rifle Association, the country's largest gun lobby, could make it difficult for some red-state Democrats and Republicans to embrace the deal. Democrats are optimistic most in their party will support the measure and think Mr. Toomey's support could bring on as many as a dozen Republicans, a Senate Democratic aide said.
Any measures that pass the Senate likely will face tougher resistance in the GOP-controlled House.
"This bill is a clear overreach," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) said on the Senate floor Thursday, explaining why he planned to vote against bringing the bill to the floor. "The government should not punish or harass law-abiding citizens in the exercise of their Second Amendment rights."
Messrs. Manchin and Toomey, both gun owners who carry "A" ratings from the NRA, cast their deal as a common-sense measure that wouldn't infringe on constitutional rights to own a gun.
"I don't consider criminal background checks to be gun control," Mr. Toomey said at a news conference with Mr. Manchin on Wednesday. "If you pass a criminal-background check, you get to buy a gun."
The deal announced Wednesday came together after a week of negotiations between Messrs. Manchin and Toomey, and after Mr. Manchin had spent months trying to reach an agreement with Sen. Tom Coburn (R., Okla.). The NRA had pressured Mr. Toomey to not become involved in the deal, according to a Senate aide.
Mr. Manchin said the background-check agreement will be the first amendment offered to the main Senate gun bill. That measure includes provisions to improve school security and strengthen penalties for people buying guns for others who aren't authorized to purchase them. It also includes an expansion of background checks that is broader than the Manchin-Toomey deal, reducing its support among some Democrats and Republicans.
The agreement would broaden background checks beyond what is required under current federal law, but it dialed back Democrats' initial hopes of establishing "universal" background checks.
Under the deal, all buyers would have to undergo a background check conducted by a federally licensed dealer when purchasing firearms online or at a gun show. The lawmakers agreed to exempt gun sales or transfers between family members, friends and neighbors. Licensed dealers are already required to conduct background checks and keep paper records of sales.
"If you're going to a gun show, you should be subjected to the same [checks] as if you went to a gun store," Mr. Manchin told reporters.
The NRA and other gun groups say the paper record could eventually lead to government confiscation of weapons. To address those concerns, the measure states that the federal government can't create a national registry of gun owners.
The NRA criticized the deal in a statement Wednesday. Referring to three mass shootings in recent years, the group said "no background check would have prevented the tragedies in Newtown, Aurora or Tucson." It called for efforts to address gun crimes in cities and to improve mental-health care.
Messrs. Manchin and Toomey appeared ready to split with the NRA, at least for one vote.
"My wife called me the other night, and she disagreed with something and I still love her," Mr. Manchin, a lifetime NRA member, said in an interview.
Some Republicans, including Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio, said Wednesday they planned to review the new deal.
"They have made terrific progress in responding to a lot of the concerns that I personally had," said Sen. Susan Collins (R., Maine), who said she wanted to review the final language before deciding whether to support the measure.
A few Democrats also are undecided. Sens. Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, Mark Pryor of Arkansas and Mark Begich of Alaska—all from Republican-leaning states and all facing re-election next year—indicated this week they were closely following developments on background checks but hadn't yet decided whether to support a deal.
"I haven't seen the bill," Mr. Begich said Wednesday evening.
Nathan Gonzales, deputy editor of the nonpartisan Rothenberg Political Report, said the NRA's biggest influence in the congressional gun debate may have been in forcing Democrats to recalibrate which measures stood any chance of becoming law.
Among the measures unlikely to pass the Senate are a proposed ban on certain semiautomatic rifles known as assault weapons and limiting the size of magazines to no more than 10 rounds of ammunition. Mr. Reid opted to exclude the most contentious measures from the main Senate gun bill but has said they would all receive votes as amendments.
Speaker John Boehner (R., Ohio) told reporters Wednesday the House would wait to review any gun-control bills until they clear the Senate.
At least one House Republican, Rep. Pat Meehan of Pennsylvania, said Wednesday he would support the background-check deal.
"This would create a consistent system throughout while protecting the rights of gun owners," Mr. Meehan said in an interview.
Under the deal, a buyer may purchase a firearm if a background check doesn't produce a "definitive response" from the national-records database within 48 hours, down from three business days under current law.
Write to Kristina Peterson at [email protected]
The new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll indicates strong support for giving citizenship to illegal immigrants. Those polled also favor strict gun laws. Colleen McCain Nelson has details. Photo: AP Images.
Wednesday's agreement bolstered support for one of President Barack Obama's top priorities following December's Newtown, Conn., school shooting, though the Senate could debate gun control through the end of April.
"I would hope we can reach an agreement to begin debate on the bill today," said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D., Nev.), who added that he was confident Democrats had the votes to overcome a Republican effort to block the bill.
Wednesday's agreement, crafted by Sens. Joe Manchin (D., W.Va.) and Pat Toomey (R., Pa.) and backed by Sens. Charles Schumer (D., N.Y.) and Mark Kirk (R., Ill.), would require background checks—and paper records of the checks—for sales at gun shows and over the Internet. The bipartisan agreement considerably boosts the chances of the Senate passing an expansion of background checks.
[h=3]Timeline: Gun Control in the U.S.[/h]Since the American Revolution, when colonists went to war against Great Britain, the right to bear arms has been central to—and controversial in—American culture.
[h=3]Map: Gun Laws by State[/h]
Still, immediate resistance from the National Rifle Association, the country's largest gun lobby, could make it difficult for some red-state Democrats and Republicans to embrace the deal. Democrats are optimistic most in their party will support the measure and think Mr. Toomey's support could bring on as many as a dozen Republicans, a Senate Democratic aide said.
Any measures that pass the Senate likely will face tougher resistance in the GOP-controlled House.
"This bill is a clear overreach," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) said on the Senate floor Thursday, explaining why he planned to vote against bringing the bill to the floor. "The government should not punish or harass law-abiding citizens in the exercise of their Second Amendment rights."
Messrs. Manchin and Toomey, both gun owners who carry "A" ratings from the NRA, cast their deal as a common-sense measure that wouldn't infringe on constitutional rights to own a gun.
"I don't consider criminal background checks to be gun control," Mr. Toomey said at a news conference with Mr. Manchin on Wednesday. "If you pass a criminal-background check, you get to buy a gun."
The deal announced Wednesday came together after a week of negotiations between Messrs. Manchin and Toomey, and after Mr. Manchin had spent months trying to reach an agreement with Sen. Tom Coburn (R., Okla.). The NRA had pressured Mr. Toomey to not become involved in the deal, according to a Senate aide.
Mr. Manchin said the background-check agreement will be the first amendment offered to the main Senate gun bill. That measure includes provisions to improve school security and strengthen penalties for people buying guns for others who aren't authorized to purchase them. It also includes an expansion of background checks that is broader than the Manchin-Toomey deal, reducing its support among some Democrats and Republicans.
The agreement would broaden background checks beyond what is required under current federal law, but it dialed back Democrats' initial hopes of establishing "universal" background checks.
Under the deal, all buyers would have to undergo a background check conducted by a federally licensed dealer when purchasing firearms online or at a gun show. The lawmakers agreed to exempt gun sales or transfers between family members, friends and neighbors. Licensed dealers are already required to conduct background checks and keep paper records of sales.
"If you're going to a gun show, you should be subjected to the same [checks] as if you went to a gun store," Mr. Manchin told reporters.
The NRA and other gun groups say the paper record could eventually lead to government confiscation of weapons. To address those concerns, the measure states that the federal government can't create a national registry of gun owners.
The NRA criticized the deal in a statement Wednesday. Referring to three mass shootings in recent years, the group said "no background check would have prevented the tragedies in Newtown, Aurora or Tucson." It called for efforts to address gun crimes in cities and to improve mental-health care.
Messrs. Manchin and Toomey appeared ready to split with the NRA, at least for one vote.
"My wife called me the other night, and she disagreed with something and I still love her," Mr. Manchin, a lifetime NRA member, said in an interview.
Some Republicans, including Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio, said Wednesday they planned to review the new deal.
"They have made terrific progress in responding to a lot of the concerns that I personally had," said Sen. Susan Collins (R., Maine), who said she wanted to review the final language before deciding whether to support the measure.
A few Democrats also are undecided. Sens. Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, Mark Pryor of Arkansas and Mark Begich of Alaska—all from Republican-leaning states and all facing re-election next year—indicated this week they were closely following developments on background checks but hadn't yet decided whether to support a deal.
"I haven't seen the bill," Mr. Begich said Wednesday evening.
Nathan Gonzales, deputy editor of the nonpartisan Rothenberg Political Report, said the NRA's biggest influence in the congressional gun debate may have been in forcing Democrats to recalibrate which measures stood any chance of becoming law.
Among the measures unlikely to pass the Senate are a proposed ban on certain semiautomatic rifles known as assault weapons and limiting the size of magazines to no more than 10 rounds of ammunition. Mr. Reid opted to exclude the most contentious measures from the main Senate gun bill but has said they would all receive votes as amendments.
Speaker John Boehner (R., Ohio) told reporters Wednesday the House would wait to review any gun-control bills until they clear the Senate.
At least one House Republican, Rep. Pat Meehan of Pennsylvania, said Wednesday he would support the background-check deal.
"This would create a consistent system throughout while protecting the rights of gun owners," Mr. Meehan said in an interview.
Under the deal, a buyer may purchase a firearm if a background check doesn't produce a "definitive response" from the national-records database within 48 hours, down from three business days under current law.
Write to Kristina Peterson at [email protected]