Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) announced that the Senate will begin the process of voting on gun legislation tomorrow.
In remarks provided to PoliticusUSA, Schumer said on the Senate floor:
So I plan to object to passing this measure today through consent, but I would tell my colleague from Wisconsin, tomorrow we CAN begin voting on a bill that will let us take action on guns, and we could consider amendments like this then, along with others.
Tomorrow, the Senate is scheduled to take the first step—the first step—in responding to the shooting that happened in my home State of New York two weeks ago, and so many other mass shootings over the years that have been motivated by race.
The Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act, which I set in motion earlier this week, is a necessary and timely step to honor the memories of the dead in Buffalo, and to make sure mass shootings motivated by race don’t happen again.
I urge all my Republican colleagues to vote to get on that bill. All we’re asking is a vote ‘yes’ on the motion to proceed. I urge my colleague from Wisconsin to vote ‘yes’ on that bill. If Senator Johnson helps us get on the Domestic terrorism bill, we could consider amendments related to guns, his and others that have a different point of view.
And if Republicans can vote with us to get on that bill, we can have a debate on considering common sense, strong gun safety amendments, hopefully with bipartisan support.
Let me be clear: we are going to vote on gun legislation, and the Republicans could let us start doing that as soon as tomorrow, if they simply voted yes on the motion to proceed, and I give them a pledge that we would then start debating gun amendments. Senator Johnson’s and many others that have a different point of view.
I repeat though, we are going to vote on gun legislation.
The American people are tired of moments of silence. Tired of the kind words offering thoughts and prayers.
We can use the Domestic Terrorism Bill tomorrow to begin—I repeat—to begin considering gun safety amendments, and we can consider the proposal he brings to the floor today. So we won’t just have this amendment, we’ll have a lot of amendments to debate and that seems perfectly fair and, in fact, bipartisan.
Alone, the Johnson bill is not in any way shape or form a sufficient solution, and so I object.
There was some confusing reporting earlier on Wednesday that Schumer was not paving the way for a vote on gun legislation, but the Majority Leader clarified that the Senate will be voting on gun bills and amendments.
If Senate Republicans choose to obstruct these common-sense amendments, the blood of the next group of children killed in a mass shooting will be on their hands.
It is time for Senate Democrats to suspend the filibuster and pass gun legislation. Republicans are never going to get on board. They didn’t do it after Sandy Hook, or Parkland, so why should the murder of 19 elementary school children in Texas change their minds in 2022?
If America wants gun legislation, they need to elect candidates to the House and Senate who will deliver those bills. Republicans have already shown us who they are, and if they don’t get on board, voters should remove them in November.
Mr. Easley is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
