Paul Kane, congressional reporter over at the Washington Post tweeted out last night:
The New York Times reports similiarly:
Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the majority leader and a longtime gun rights advocate who had thrown himself behind the gun control measures, is expected to pull the bill from the Senate floor and move on to an Internet sales tax measure, then an overhaul of immigration policy, which has better prospects.
The Democrats and Republicans agreed to hold a vote on all nine amendments with a 60 vote threshold.
Using the 60-vote hurdle so early in the process allowed Democrats to prevent the passage of an amendment mandating that any state with a concealed-weapons law, no matter how rigorous, would have to recognize the concealed-weapons permit of residents from any other state. The amendment received 57 votes in favor, including those of 12 Democrats, and 43 votes against.
It is interesting that universal CCW got more support than the AWB or the Toomey-Manchin Amendment. President Obama held a press conference shortly after the Toomey-Manchin amendment, berating America for not passing this monstrous piece of legislation. Media personalities and Hollywood’s political pundits weighed in with their disappointment. But he issue isn’t going to disappear, Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) said “”Background checks will happen,” he added, minutes after the vote. “This outcome is a delay, not a defeat.”
Reid could still pull the bill out at a later date, but for now the it looks like the Senate will be moving on to other issues.
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(H/T to Moe Lane)