Firearms Owners Against Crime
Institute for Legal, Legislative and Educational Action
Institute for Legal, Legislative and Educational Action
Though the GOP majorities in Congress have been retained, and President-elect Trump has vowed to appoint judges who will uphold the Second Amendment, Sen. Pat Toomey (R-PA) has announced that he will push (AGAIN) for the Toomey-Manchin background checks in the next Congress.
Referencing the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting, Toomey said:
“These senseless killings also inspired me to work across the aisle on common sense gun safety legislation that upholds the Second Amendment while also making it harder for criminals and the dangerously mentally ill to purchase a firearm. I remain committed to this cause and look forward to working with Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) again next Congress on our background check proposal.”
In 2013, leading up to the first vote on the bill, Toomey claimed its purpose was:
“…[T]o make it a little bit more difficult for the people who aren’t supposed to have firearms in the first place to obtain them.”
That sounds good in theory, but the bill held provisions that could allow for the creation of a national gun registry and made it more difficult for gun owners to transport their personal firearms across state lines (among other issues).
Though Toomey and Manchin implored people to “just read the bill” and Harry Reid tried to shame Senators into voting for it, even moderate Dems voted against this heaping pile of garbage during the first two go-rounds, in 2013 and 2015. What makes him think it will turn out any differently this time?
Short answer: He doesn’t think it will turn out any differently. It keeps him in the spotlight, and, well, it’s the pet project of one of his largest donors, Mike Bloomberg. Toomey faced a tough re-election battle that turned out to the most expensive race in the country. In August, Bloomberg endorsed Toomey, and millions of dollars followed:
Also among the biggest Toomey supporters is Michael Bloomberg, whose super-PAC, Independence USA, has spent about $3 million supporting the Republican.
It’s clear that Bloomberg now wants his investment to pay a dividend.
If Sen. Toomey plans to stick with his erroneous assertions that his amendment doesn’t do what it says it does, he can expect the same heavy opposition to – and defeat of – his moronic proposal.
Go home, Sen. Toomey. You’re drunk.
https://www.firearmspolicy.org/blog/go-home-sen-toomey-youre-drunk/