Arming teachers, raising purchase limit to age 21: Where local lawmakers stand on gun legislation being debated in Congress :: 03/01/2018

Congress is discussing a broad range of possible legislative responses to the mass shooting at a Florida high school.

Some have been tried before, such as expanding background checks or blocking individuals on a no-fly list from buying guns.

Other ideas are newer to Capitol Hill, such as calls for using temporary court orders to block a person deemed to be a danger from possessing or buying firearms.

Here’s where local lawmakers stand on these proposals:

“Fix NICS” proposal to improve data reporting to the national background-check database

U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey (R) — Support

U.S. Sen. Bob Casey (D) — Support

U.S. Rep. Charlie Dent (R) — Support (signed letter seeking House vote)

U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright (D) — Support

U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R) — Support (signed letter seeking House vote)

U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta (R) — Support

Expand background checks to gun shows, online sales

U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey (R) — Support (sponsored Toomey-Manchin bill that did not advance from Senate in 2013 and 2015)

U.S. Sen. Bob Casey (D) — Support

U.S. Rep. Charlie Dent (R) — Support for all private sales of firearms (co-sponsored House bill similar to Toomey-Manchin)

U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright (D) — Support (co-sponsored House bill similar to Toomey-Manchin)

U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R) — Support (co-sponsored House bill similar to Toomey-Manchin)

U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta (R) — Oppose

Block gun purchases for those on no-fly lists

U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey (R) — Support (cosponsored bill this year)

U.S. Sen. Bob Casey (D) — Support

U.S. Rep. Charlie Dent (R) — Support

U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright (D) — Support

U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R) — Support

U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta (R) — Opposed unless due process rights can be protected

“Red flag” laws/gun violence prevention orders, allowing temporary court orders to prevent those deemed dangerous from having or buying guns

U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey (R) — Open to idea, depending on due process protections

U.S. Sen. Bob Casey (D) — Support

U.S. Rep. Charlie Dent (R) — Willing to consider

U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright (D) — Support

U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R) — Support

U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta (R) — Support at state, not federal, level

Ban bump stocks

U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey (R) — Support

U.S. Sen. Bob Casey (D) — Support

U.S. Rep. Charlie Dent (R) — Support (co-sponsored House bill)

U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright (D) — Support (co-sponsored House bill)

U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R) — Support (co-sponsored House bill)

U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta (R) — Support

Raise age to 21 for buying assault weapons

U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey (R) — “Skeptical” but open to discussion

U.S. Sen. Bob Casey (D) — Support

U.S. Rep. Charlie Dent (R) — Support

U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright (D) — Reviewing proposals

U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R) — Support

U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta (R) — Undecided

Ban assault weapons

U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey (R) — Oppose

U.S. Sen. Bob Casey (D) — Support

U.S. Rep. Charlie Dent (R) — Willing to consider

U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright (D) — Support

U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R) — Support

U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta (R) — Oppose

Restrict high-capacity magazines

U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey (R) — Oppose

U.S. Sen. Bob Casey (D) — Support

U.S. Rep. Charlie Dent (R) — Willing to consider

U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright (D) — Reviewing proposals

U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R) — Support

U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta (R) — Oppose

Arming teachers

U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey (R) — Up to individual schools if they want to allow trained teachers who feel comfortable carrying a gun to do so

U.S. Sen. Bob Casey (D) — Oppose

U.S. Rep. Charlie Dent (R) — Generally opposed but says in some circumstances, such as rural schools without a school resource officer or local police service, it may be appropriate for “a designated administrator or teacher, who has received appropriate training could be allowed, under tightly controlled circumstances, to carry a firearm.”

U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright (D) — Oppose

U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R) — Opposes; would prefer to fund armed security guards and fortify school structures

U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta (R) — Should be a discussion at the local level, between parents, teachers, school administrators and local officials

lolson@mcall.com

http://www.mcall.com/news/nationworld/pennsylvania/capitol-ideas/mc-nws-pennsylvania-lawmakers-congress-gun-bills-20180228-story.html