Renewal of legislative ban on assault weapons subject to high-level jockeying on Capitol Hill

Associated Press ^ | 05-15-03

[Brian S]

Speaker Dennis Hastert opened the door Thursday to a vote on extending an assault weapons ban that expires next year, and the leader of House Democrats prodded President Bush to press the Republican leadership to bring the bill to the floor.

[Joe Brower]

[TLBSHOW]

White House spokesman Ari Fleischer has said the president supports an extension of the ban -- a position Bush took during his campaign for the White House. But he also has sidestepped questions on whether Bush would put his prestige behind a campaign to renew the legislation.

Fleischer told reporters this week the White House is working with Congress on issues such as tax cuts and AIDS, and added, "The president doesn't set the congressional calendar or schedule. We'll continue to work with the Congress, and they know the president's position."

[backhoe]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/911200/posts
The RKBA War-- 2 weeks of links ( AWB and more )
various FR links | 05-14-03 | The Heavy Equipment Guy

[wjcsux]

I would like to see this go to a vote in both houses. The reason is this. This gun bill probably does not stand a chance of passing. A vote right before election time exposes are true enemies.

[LTCJ]

Hastert, R-Ill., said he hadn't yet decided whether the GOP-controlled House would vote on renewing the ban, which was approved in 1994 on 19 military-style automatic weapons. "I need to have some discussions with the president and (Republican) leadership before I make that decision," he said.

We'll all be better off when we find out exactly who the "Republican leadership" is. So far, I'm not seeing a lot of what I would charaterize as leadership on this issue.

This could be retitled "Republicans ask: Will it hurt to point this at my foot and pull the trigger?" without seriously undermining the content.

Oh, and GOP-controlled House? OBJECTION: Presenting facts not in evidence.

[Nov3]

Hastert, R-Ill., said he hadn't yet decided whether the GOP-controlled House would vote on renewing the ban, which was approved in 1994 on 19 military-style automatic weapons. "I need to have some discussions with the president and (Republican) leadership before I make that decision," he said.

They better just be playing press games because I will stay home on 2004 if this law is aggressively pushed and not killed. The repubs need to act like they are trying to push it and just let it die in a committee. Leave it to the dems to push it when they get control back.

[45Auto]

Its 18 months away from the sunsetting of this unconstitutional piece of crap law. That's plenty of time for these rotten, dishonorable, ballbreaking things we call "Representatives" to cut deals that will allow the RAT bastards and their sycophantic enemies-of-freedom cadre to triumph even in the face of a Republican President, a Republican House and a (barely) Republican Senate. The Republican Party stands on the brink of either 20 years of majority status, or a generation of minority status, I kid you not.

Many solid conservative Republican Freepers will claim (perhaps rightly so) that we shouldn't be "one issue" voters; I use the yardstick of the 2nd Amendment to measure how a politician views the basis of liberty, i.e., the Bill of Rights and the Constitution. How they go on the RKBA is how they will go on other core issues, like late-term abortion, tax increases, federal usurpation of private property, campaign finance, and a host of others. What difference does it make if the Republic is destroyed over the next 20 years or over the next 50 years? That seems to be the only choice we have left, and it doesn't seem to matter whether a politician has a (D) or an (R) after his name.

And don't think I am so naive as to consider a dramatic rise of a third party. That ain't going to happen in my lifetime.

I think we are engaged in Civil War II; some call it the "culture war", but I think its much more than that. It could be called a "cold civil war" since it hasn't "gone hot" - yet. There is still a chance for the survival of the Republic and the restoration of respect for the Constitution; it can still be done peacefully at the polls. But it is a formidable task. The Republicans have a chance to do the right thing; the only question is, do they know it?

[backhoe]

I think we are engaged in Civil War II; some call it the "culture war", but I think its much more than that. It could be called a "cold civil war" since it hasn't "gone hot" - yet. There is still a chance for the survival of the Republic and the restoration of respect for the Constitution; it can still be done peacefully at the polls. But it is a formidable task.

I agree.

[oldfart]

You're absolutely right. As we have seen over the past fifty years or so, Second Amendment issues seem to be a bellweather for how the wind will blow on other aspects of the BoR.

The 14th Amendment was passed to allow all citizens the same rights-- regardless of their color or religious backgrounds. That the courts have yet to include the 2nd within that umbrella of protection is a crime in itself. How legislators vote on gun issues shows that they have adopted the same view as the courts, that is that the 14th applies to free speech, to search and seizure, to religion-- but not to RKBA.

I will watch carefully in the coming months, and if the AWB does come to a vote, I will note who votes for it and hold them accountable in the next election. If the unthinkable should happen and it is sent to the desk of GWB where he signs it, I will vote for anyone other than him. While we might have difficulty actually charging him with treason, he would be a traitor in my eyes and I never reward a traitor.

[white trash redneck]

The more I think about it, if the Brady Campaign didn't exist, us gun cranks would have to invent it. As long as they keep proposing radical gun-prohibitionist schemes, they will chase middle of the road voters away from the RATs.

[The Old Hoosier]

If they do take the vote, they'll do it this year. And it's not going to pass.

[BlackbirdSST]

Just one short week ago, the flamers here were adament as all hell that this wouldn't even see the light of day, what with both houses controlled by republican's, so bush will never have the chance to sign it, such lackeyboy's! You folk's are going to have to stop drooling all over yourselves everytime you hear the name bush, and start making these people do our bidding or we are all in a world of hurt. Blackbird.

[Shooter 2.5]

"The issue cuts across party lines.

Yes it does. It also means there should be less Rats in office after the next election.

[Shooter 2.5]

You're needed over here. The ballot box still works.


http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/05/14/bush.gunban/index.html

[GnL]

I use the yardstick of the 2nd Amendment to measure how a politician views the basis of liberty, i.e., the Bill of Rights and the Constitution

Me too.

[Shooter 2.5]

And over here.
http://www.vote.com/vote/60095082/index.phtml?cat=4075633

[thepitts]

Go ahead demorats and republicans, renew it or better yet make it permanent, lets see how that works out for you.

[Shooter 2.5]

No one is drooling over Bush on this. We paid attention to what he said during the campaign and worked our butts off so we could get more A rated politicians back in November.

This is a fight that's going to take every single day until the ban is buried. Call your reps and your senators. Now, today.

We have a lot of work to do.

[Shooter 2.5]

"better yet make it permanent,

Even better yet. Work like hell to get it sunsetted and then two months later vote the gun grabbing dems out of office.