US senate votes for debate on gun control

The US senate cleared the way yesterday for a weeks-long debate on proposals to curb gun violence, rejecting an effort by Republicans to block consideration of gun-control legislation prompted by December’s Newtown school massacre.

The senate voted 68-31 to open debate on president Barack Obama’s proposals to expand background checks for gun buyers, tighten restrictions on gun trafficking, and increase funding for school security.

The senate easily cleared the 60-vote hurdle needed to break a Republican filibuster on a bill that has sparked intense lobbying on both sides, including families of the Connecticut victims as well as powerful gun lobby, the National Rifle Association.

“The hard work starts now,” senate majority leader Harry Reid, a Democrat, said after the procedural vote to open debate, which won the support of 16 Republicans.

Some 29 Republicans and two Democrats voted to block the debate.

The legislation still faces many hurdles, including a weeks-long debate in the senate featuring many amendments that could make the bill unacceptable to senators who now support it. And if it clears the senate, it would face a tough reception in the Republican-led house of representatives. No major gun legislation has passed the congress since 1994.

The vote to proceed with the bill came a day after a compromise agreement on background checks between prominent defenders of gun rights from each party — Democrat Joe Manchin and Republican Patrick Toomey.

That agreement to expand criminal background checks of gun buyers to include commercial sales made at gun shows and online was expected to boost bipartisan support for the measure.

“It is a really important start,” Democratic senator Christopher Murphy said before the vote, displaying photos of victims of the Dec 14 massacre of 20 children and six adults at a school in Newtown, Connecticut.

Reid said the expanded background checks, a provision that polls show has the support of up to 90% of Americans, will be the first amendment offered in debate. It appears to be Obama’s best hope for achieving meaningful gun- control legislation.

He is unlikely to get some elements he has advocated, including a ban on rapid-firing “assault” weapons and limits on the capacity of ammunition magazines.

Reid said amendments to add those provisions to the bill would be considered by the Senate. Both appear to have a slim chance of winning on the senate floor.

— Reuters