Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) shut down a Democrat gun control push Thursday, saying it would not prevent shootings but would hamper the law-abiding in exercising Second Amendment rights.
The Guardian notes the push came from Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT), who sought “unanimous consent on Thursday to pass the Enhanced Background Checks Act of 2021.” The Act would expand retail background checks so as to include private gun sales as well.
Murphy pointed to the November 30, 2021, Oxford High shooting in pushing for the passage of the gun control. But Grassley blocked the move, describing the gun control as “hostile towards lawful gun owners and lawful firearm transactions.”
Grassley said, “So-called universal background checks will not prevent crime and will turn otherwise law-abiding citizens into criminals.”
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) speaks during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol on March 23, 2021 in Washington, DC. Democrats are pushing for new gun control legislation after the country saw two high-profile mass shootings in one week. (Photo by Erin Scott-Pool/Getty)
The legislation being pushed by Murphy was passed by the Democrat-Controlled House of Representatives in March 2021. At that time, Breitbart News pointed out that bill would criminalize an individual who sells a 5-shot revolver to a lifelong neighbor, unless that neighbor first undergoes a National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) check, conducted by the FBI.
Murphy admitted the universal background checks might not have stopped the Oxford High shooting, but suggested such checks “[save] lives, decreases gun violence, [and] decreases violent crime.”
Colorado has universal background checks, yet Ahmad Alissa, 21 of Arvada, CO, allegedly opened fire on customers at a Boulder grocery store on March 22, 2021. Ten people were killed in the attack.
California also has universal backgrounds, yet South Los Angeles witnessed a 742 percent surge in shooting victims during the first 16 days of 2021 alone.
Giffords’ gun control group notes claims, “Universal background checks are essential to close deadly loopholes in our laws that allow millions of guns to end up in the hands of individuals at an elevated risk of committing violence each year.”
AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio and a Turning Point USA Ambassador. Follow him on Instagram: @awr_hawkins. Reach him at awrhawkins@breitbart.com. You can sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange.