Bump stock devices were relatively unknown to the American public until 2017, when a gunman in Las Vegas was able to use a bump stock to kill dozens of people and injure hundreds of others in one of the worst mass shootings in our history. The public quickly realized that bump stocks are an aftermarket accessory that gun owners can attach to semi-automatic rifles to make them fire faster.
The Trump administration acted unilaterally to ban the devices in the wake of the Las Vegas massacres, but Republican-appointed Supreme Court justices rejected that policy last week. David Firestone of the New York Times described the ruling as “one of the most astonishingly dangerous decisions ever handed down by the court, and will almost certainly result in the loss of American lives in another mass shooting.” Mark Joseph Stern of Slate added that Judge Clarence Thomas’s ruling was “indefensible” on the merits.
However, the Supreme Court’s decision left the door open for congressional action. In fact, lawmakers had — and still have — the option to simply reinstate the Trump administration’s ban and codify it into federal law.
Democratic Senator. Martijn Heinrich from New Mexico tried to do just that today. Politico reported:
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell previously told reporters that his caucus would not allow the legislation, and the Republican Party followed suit accordingly.
Note: There is no final vote because Heinrich attempted to advance the bill by unanimous consent – a procedural step intended to quickly advance uncontroversial measures. As a result, it only took one member to object and derail the legislation, and in this case the bill had far more than one opponent.
I imagine many readers are saying at this point, “Well, wasn’t this the obvious outcome? Republicans oppose virtually all measures to prevent gun violence, so it is hardly a surprise that Republican senators would decline today.”
But it’s not that simple.
In October 2017, less than a week after the deadly Mandalay Bay hotel massacre, there was bipartisan support for taking action on bump stocks. A group of Republican senators — a nine-member contingent that includes future Senate Minority Whip John Thune and vice presidential candidate Tim Scott — urged the Trump administration’s ATF to pursue a ban in the interest of public safety.
They were not castigated for this break with far-right orthodoxy. By the way, when the Trump administration agreed with the concerns and imposed a ban on bump stocks, conservatives did not condemn the White House or characterize it as an outrageous attack on the Second Amendment.
In other words, there is no reason to reflexively view this as a partisan dispute. If Republicans agreed to a ban on stocks in 2017, they could support the same ban in 2024.
“What today’s bill does is return the situation to the status quo that has been established Donald Trump“Bump stocks are dangerous and should be banned,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said on the floor this morning. “Senate Republicans largely supported Donald Trump’s ban on bump stocks at the time, so they should support this bill today.”
The New York Democrat concluded: “If Republicans stand in the way today, if they decide to side with the gun lobby over parents, teachers and law enforcement, they are asking for another tragedy sooner or later.”
A few hours later, the Republican party refused.
“This won’t be the last time you hear about these devices in the Senate,” Heinrich said as the debate came to a close.
This article was originally published on MSNBC.com
