Latest news with #guncontrol
Al Arabiya
20 hours ago
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Republicans Hit Major Setback in Their Effort to Ease Regulations on Gun Silencers
Republican efforts to loosen regulations on gun silencers and short-barreled rifles and shotguns have been dealt a big setback. The Senate parliamentarian advised that the proposal would need to clear a 60-vote threshold if included in their big tax and immigration bill. Gun rights groups had been lobbying aggressively for the measure, which would essentially treat silencers and the short-barreled firearms like long guns. Gun-control groups celebrated the parliamentarian's ruling, saying the items have been regulated for nearly 100 years for good reason–they are a threat to first responders and communities. The House version of the GOP's bill removed silencers–called suppressors by the gun industry–from a 1930s law that regulates firearms considered the most dangerous. In the process, it would have eliminated a $200 tax. The Senate kept the provision on silencers in its version of the bill and expanded upon it, adding short-barreled or sawed-off rifles and shotguns. Under the National Firearms Act, potential buyers of the regulated weapons must also undergo a fingerprint-based background check. There is no deadline for such checks. The process is arguably more thorough than the name-based background check completed for other firearms purchases. Lawmakers said the silencers provision was deemed by the Senate parliamentarian to be in violation of the Byrd Rule. This rule stipulates that the budget changes sought in the legislation cannot be merely incidental to the policy changes. The special rules are designed to deter provisions unrelated to spending or taxes from being included in the bill. 'It's no surprise that Republicans will jump at any opportunity to please the gun lobby by rolling back gun safety measures, but that kind of policy does not belong in a reconciliation bill,' said Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore. Gun rights groups complained about the $200 tax and how the background check process often takes weeks and even months for silencers and short-barreled weapons. Larry Keane of the National Shooting Sports Foundation, who supports the legislation, said before the ruling that the proposed changes were aimed at helping target shooters and hunters protect their hearing. He argued that the use of silencers in violent crimes is rare. 'All it's ever intended to do is to reduce the report of the firearm to hearing-safe levels,' Keane said. John Commerford, executive director of the National Rifle Association's Institute for Legislative Action, disagreed with the parliamentarian's ruling, noting that she was originally appointed by then-Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Democrat. 'Nevertheless, we remain committed to working with our allies on Capitol Hill to end the unjust tax burden on these constitutionally-protected arms,' Commerford said. Groups opposed to the measure included Giffords, the gun violence prevention organization co-founded by former Rep. Gabby Giffords, who was grievously wounded in a 2011 mass shooting in her district. Emma Brown, the group's executive director, said removing safeguards on gun silencers would have made it easier for violent criminals to escape, putting both law enforcement and civilians at greater risk. 'What's more, removing safeguards on short-barreled firearms would have only enabled more criminals to access these easily concealable weapons, which can be easily brought into large crowds,' Brown said. The gun language had broad support among Republicans and has received little attention as House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., work to settle differences within the party on cuts to Medicaid and energy tax credits, among other issues. It is just one of hundreds of policy and spending items that were included to entice members to vote for the legislation and will have broad implications in the years to come.
Associated Press
21 hours ago
- Politics
- Associated Press
Republicans hit major setback in their effort to ease regulations on gun silencers
WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican efforts to loosen regulations on gun silencers and short-barreled rifles and shotguns have been dealt a big setback with the Senate parliamentarian advising that the proposal would need to clear a 60-vote threshold if included in their big tax and immigration bill. Gun rights groups had been lobbying aggressively for the measure, which would essentially treat silencers and the short-barreled firearms like long guns. Gun-control groups celebrated the parliamentarian's ruling, saying the items have been regulated for nearly 100 years for good reason — they are a threat to first responders and communities. The House version of the GOP's bill removed silencers — called 'suppressors' by the gun industry — from a 1930s law that regulates firearms considered the most dangerous, and in the process, would have eliminated a $200 tax. The Senate kept the provision on silencers in its version of the bill and expanded upon it, adding short-barreled, or sawed-off, rifles and shotguns. Under the National Firearms Act, potential buyers of the regulated weapons must also undergo a finger-print based background check. There is no deadline for such checks. The process is arguably more thorough than the name-based background check completed for other firearms purchases. Lawmakers said the silencers provision was deemed by the Senate parliamentarian to be in violation of the 'Byrd Rule,' which stipulates that the budget changes sought in the legislation cannot be 'merely incidental' to the policy changes. The special rules are designed to deter provisions unrelated to spending or taxes from being included in the bill. 'It's no surprise that Republicans will jump at any opportunity to please the gun lobby by rolling back gun safety measures, but that kind of policy does not belong in a reconciliation bill,' said Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore. Gun rights groups complained about the $200 tax and how the background check process often takes weeks and even months for silencers and short-barreled weapons. Larry Keane of the National Shooting Sports Foundation, who supports the legislation, said before the ruling that the proposed changes were aimed at helping target shooters and hunters protect their hearing. He argued that the use of silencers in violent crimes is rare. 'All it's ever intended to do is to reduce the report of the firearm to hearing safe levels,' Keane said. John Commerford, executive director of the National Rifle Association's Institute for Legislative Action, disagreed with the parliamentarian's ruling, noting that she was originally appointed by then-Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Democrat. 'Nevertheless, we remain committed to working with our allies on Capitol Hill to end the unjust tax burden on these constitutionally-protected arms,' Commerford said. Groups opposed to the measure included Giffords, the gun violence prevention organization co-founded by former Rep. Gabby Giffords who was grievously wounded in a 2011 mass shooting in her district. Emma Brown, the group's executive director said 'removing safeguards on gun silencers would have made it easier for violent criminals to escape, putting both law enforcement and civilians at greater risk.' 'What's more, removing safeguards on short barreled firearms would have only enabled more criminals to access these easily concealable weapons, which can be easily brought into large crowds,' Brown said. The gun language had broad support among Republicans and has received little attention as House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., work to settle differences within the party on cuts to Medicaid and energy tax credits, among other issues. It is just one of hundreds of policy and spending items that were included to entice members to vote for the legislation and will have broad implications in the years to come.
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Daily Mail
Mother's fury as British graduate's 'killer' will not face justice after she was shot dead at her father's US home
The mother of a British graduate killed by a gunshot wound at her father's home in the US has hit out at the 'baffling' decision by police which means her 'killer' will never face justice. A manslaughter investigation was launched in February after Lucy Harrison, 23, from Warrington, Cheshire, was killed at her father's house in Prosper, Texas, on January 10. Coroners found she died of a gunshot wound to the chest and she 'was shot by another person' from a 'medium range'. US police investigated her death as a case of 'negligent manslaughter'. Yesterday it was announced that no charges were being issued over the death of Ms Harrison, a decision she has described as 'beyond comprehension'. Mother Jane, from Warrington, Cheshire, told the Sun: 'Although we have tried so hard to prepare for this moment, it is a brutal outcome to accept. 'It is baffling and beyond comprehension to us, our families and friends, that there is to be no accountability for what happened to my daughter. 'The international element, coupled with a different legal system, practice, and thresholds, makes the outcome even harder and more frustrating to accept.' She also thanked those around her for their support and said she hopes to engage with groups in Texas working to prevent gun deaths, something she says Lucy would have been a 'fierce advocate' for. Jane also promised to honour the words in the last Mother's Day card she received from her daughter - to 'keep mumming it'. The former Manchester Metropolitan University student died the day she was shot at 3.47 pm local time. A previous police report revealed there were five witnesses to the incident, including two children. An inquest was then opened into her death at Warrington Coroners Court on February 12. A written report following the inquest opening said: 'Ms Harrison was on holiday in the USA when she has been fatally shot with a firearm.' A spokesperson for Prosper Police Department said the case had gone through the courts in the US with 'no prosecution'. An autopsy report from Chester Gwin, MD assistant county medical examiner for Collin County, found she died as a result of a single gunshot wound fired by another person. It also confirmed Lucy tested negative for alcohol and drugs and was pronounced dead at the Baylor Scott and White Medical Centre in Texas on January 10. She was visiting her father, Kris Harrison, who lives in the state and is believed to have family in Southport. Lucy had been due to fly back to Manchester on the day she was shot after visiting family over the Christmas period. Just hours before being shot she was posing for photographs in the snow. A tribute from Lucy's mother and boyfriend, released by Cheshire Police, said: 'Lucy was life. She lived it fiercely and fearlessly, not being afraid to feel all that life has to offer. Lucy unashamedly loved – she had a huge capacity to love and be loved. 'She was the embodiment of wonderful contradictions; she adored travel and being away, experiencing new places and cultures, yet at the same time, she loved nothing more than snuggling up in her pyjamas with her candles on at home. 'She could be dramatic and elaborate situations like it was the end of the world, yet she could also be straight talking and not afraid to have bold conversations. 'She was truly thriving in life and although this gives us great comfort, we are utterly heartbroken at the loss of our beautiful, gorgeous Luce.' An inquest hearing is set to take place at Cheshire Coroner's Court on Museum Street, Warrington on October 29. Following her death in February, Prosper police identified a suspect and five witnesses. A heavily-redacted police report from the Prosper Police Department at the time confirmed the case was being investigated as a 'criminally negligent homicide'. The document, which was seen by MailOnline, said a 'suspect' had been identified in the case, as well as five witnesses, two of whom are minors. The family have requested that, if desired, donations be made to Peace and Mind UK - a charity based in Lucy's hometown founded in memory of murdered teenager Brianna Ghey.
Washington Post
a day ago
- Politics
- Washington Post
Republicans' tax bill would water down a century-old gun law
Tucked into the more than 1,000 pages of the GOP domestic policy bill winding its way through Congress is a provision that would water down a nearly century-old firearms law — changes the gun industry has sought for years despite gun-control advocates warning they would come at the expense of public safety.
CNN
2 days ago
- Politics
- CNN
Carolyn McCarthy, gun control crusader and former congresswoman, dies at 81
Former US Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, who successfully ran for Congress in 1996 as a crusader for gun control after a mass shooting on a New York commuter train left her husband dead and her son severely wounded, has died. She was 81. News of her death was shared Thursday by several elected officials on her native Long Island and by Jay Jacobs, chair of the New York State Democratic Committee. Details about her death were not immediately available. McCarthy went from political novice to one of the nation's leading advocates for gun control legislation in the aftermath of the 1993 Long Island Rail Road massacre. However, the suburban New York Democrat found limited success against the National Rifle Association and other Second Amendment advocates. McCarthy announced in June 2013 that she was undergoing treatment for lung cancer. She announced her retirement in January 2014. 'Mom dedicated her life to transforming personal tragedy into a powerful mission of public service,' her son, Kevin McCarthy, who survived the shooting, told Newsday. 'As a tireless advocate, devoted mother, proud grandmother and courageous leader, she changed countless lives for the better. Her legacy of compassion, strength and purpose will never be forgotten.' New York Gov. Kathy Hochul directed flags on all state government buildings to be flown at half-staff in honor of the congresswoman on Friday. 'Representative Carolyn McCarthy was a strong advocate for gun control and an even more fierce leader,' Hochul said. Democratic US Rep. Tom Suozzi said the nation has 'lost a fierce champion.' 'Carolyn channeled her grief and loss into advocacy for change, becoming one of the most dedicated gun violence prevention advocates,' the New York lawmaker said on X. She became a go-to guest on national TV news shows after each ensuing gun massacre, whether it was at Columbine High School or Sandy Hook Elementary School. Known as the 'gun lady' on Capitol Hill, McCarthy said she couldn't stop crying after learning that her former colleague, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, had been seriously wounded in a January 2011 shooting in Arizona. 'It's like a cancer in our society,' she said of gun violence. 'And if we keep doing nothing to stop it, it's only going to spread.' During one particularly rancorous debate over gun show loopholes in 1999, McCarthy was brought to tears at 1 a.m. on the House floor. 'I am Irish and I am not supposed to cry in front of anyone. But I made a promise a long time ago. I made a promise to my son and to my husband. If there was anything that I could do to prevent one family from going through what I have gone through then I have done my job,' she said. 'Let me go home. Let me go home,' she pleaded. McCarthy was born in Brooklyn and grew up on Long Island. She became a nurse and later married Dennis McCarthy after meeting on a Long Island beach. They had one son, Kevin, during a tumultuous marriage in which they divorced but reconciled and remarried. McCarthy was a Republican when, on December 7, 1993, a gunman opened fire on a train car leaving New York City. By the time passengers tackled the shooter, six people were dead and 19 wounded. She jumped into politics after her GOP congressman voted to repeal an assault weapons ban. Her surprise victory inspired a made-for-television movie produced by Barbra Streisand. Since that first victory in 1996, McCarthy was never seriously challenged for reelection in a heavily Republican district just east of New York City. Some critics described McCarthy as a one-issue lawmaker, a contention she bristled about, pointing to interests in improving health care and education. But she was realistic about her legacy on gun control, once telling an interviewer: 'I've come to peace with the fact that will be in my obituary.'
