Posted by AzBlueMeanie:
Gun-control advocates believe that leaning on President Obama and "red state" Democrats is the key to policy progress (including a petition that we have here at Blog for Arizona), but they may want to reconsider this lobbying strategy in light of this report at Roll Call.
Tea-Publican absolutists who believe the Second Amendment is the only amendment in the Bill of Rights intend to obstruct any action in the House. In Wake of Tragedy, Little Appetite for Gun Control Among House Republicans:
The top Republican with jurisdiction over firearms regulations in the 113th Congress has shut down talk of gun control in the wake of the Newtown, Conn., massacre, a sign that the House will be the largest obstacle to overhauling federal gun laws.
Rep. Robert W. Goodlatte of Virginia told CQ Roll Call on Tuesday that he does not favor tightening controls on firearms, such as banning assault weapons or high-capacity clips, after 27 people, including 20 children, were killed by a shooter in Newtown last week.
“We’re going to take a look at what happened there and what can be done to help avoid it in the future, but gun control is not going to be something that I would support,” he said.
Goodlatte, who has an “A” rating from the National Rifle Association, has been elected by his conference to chair the House Judiciary Committee next year, where he will have jurisdiction over firearms regulations.
His comments are the most unequivocal statement yet from a high-ranking Republican shutting down the idea of gun control after what happened in Connecticut.
Salon similarly reported Tea-Publican obstruction, House GOPers throw cold water on gun control:
In the Senate, though some Republicans have said they’d at least be open to a conversation about gun laws, others have balked. Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., told the Kansas City Star that owning guns “is an important right, and it is in the Constitution. These laws are not going to change in the near future.”
And Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., said that he would not support an assault weapons ban, which Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., has said she will introduce in the new session.
“That’s not going to answer the question. You’ve got to find out who has access to those guns, especially where people are irrational, deranged and so forth. How do you define assault weapon? It’s very difficult,” Shelby told Politico. “[An assault ban] won’t fix it. We’ve seen that movie before.”
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., also told Politico that a ban on assault weapons “doesn’t make sense to me.”
President Obama this morning launched a new task force, tasked with developing comprehensive proposals to address gun violence. The panel will be led by Vice President Biden, and will report next month on an administration agenda.
"This is a team that has a very specific task: to pull together real reforms, right now."
With Biden standing at his side, Obama added, "I will use all the powers of this office to help advance efforts aimed at preventing more tragedies like this. It won't be easy, but that can't be an excuse not to try."
In the meantime, Tea-Publican absolutists who believe the Second Amendment is the only amendment in the Bill of Rights will be plotting with the well financed lobbyists for the merchants of death to obstruct any action in Congress. The power of public opinion needs to be brought to bear on these Tea-Publicans. They need to know that there will be a price to be paid for their obstruction. The victims of Newtown shall not have died in vain.
UPDATE: The New York Times surveys a number of House Republicans and finds many still won’t entertain the notion that the massacre of 20 children should prompt a new effort to tighten gun laws.
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