Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-New York) pushed for a unanimous vote to ban bump stocks in an effort to use Republican opposition to portray Republicans as supporting mass shooters, according to congressional sources.
The opposition of just one Republican could block a unanimous vote, and Democrats could use that single Republican vote to argue that the Republican Party as a whole is opposed to stopping gun violence and keeping Americans safe.
2A Victory💪@SenatorRicketts He blocked passage of a bogus “ban bump stocks” bill that would have also required registration of semi-automatic guns under the unconstitutional National Firearms Act of 1934.
It would also spur new ATF rules that would ban most semi-automatic firearms. https://t.co/am0wpgUzs9 pic.twitter.com/pSFcsFRuWY
— Gun Owners of America (@GunOwners) June 18, 2024
Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) accused Schumer of pushing for a vote on a “fake issue” instead of addressing serious issues that the Senate could play a role in solving.
“This is the third week of Chuck Schumer focusing on fake issues instead of real issues. We have real legislation. We have a rail safety bill that he promised to put on the floor for a vote. Let’s take action that can actually pass and that will actually make our country a better place,” Vance said.
Christopher Redford in Blades Already used X echoed Vance’s sentiments, posting, “This is ridiculous and cynical. Saying the Senate should be using its limited time to get legislation passed that will actually help the American people is no more dishonoring the dead than Schumer wasting his time on a Democrat message vote is honoring the dead.”
Bump stocks were used in one of the most high-profile mass shootings in American history, the Las Vegas mass shooting on October 1, 2017.
In other words, a bump stock ban would not have had an impact on any of the highly publicized public shootings since 2007.
- Nashville Christian School Attack (March 27, 2023)
- Uvalde School Attack (May 24, 2022)
- Buffalo grocery store attack (May 14, 2022)
- Indianapolis FedEx Attack (April 15, 2021)
- Atlanta-area attacks (March 16, 2021)
- Parkland High School attack (February 14, 2018)
- Texas Church Attack (November 5, 2017)
- Alexandria attack (June 14, 2017)
- Orlando attack (June 12, 2016)
- UCLA attack (June 1, 2016)
- San Bernardino attack (December 2, 2015)
- Colorado Springs attack (October 31, 2015)
- Umpqua Community College attack (October 1, 2015)
- Alison Parker attack (August 26, 2015)
- Lafayette movie theater attack (July 23, 2015)
- Chattanooga attack (July 16, 2015)
- Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church attack (June 17, 2015)
- Muhammad cartoon contest attack (May 3, 2014)
- Las Vegas police attack (June 9, 2015)
- Santa Barbara attack (May 23, 2014)
- Fort Hood attack (April 2, 2014)
- Arapahoe High School attack (December 13, 2013)
- DC Navy Yard Attack (September 16, 2013)
- Aurora movie theater attack (July 20, 2012)
- Gabby Giffords attack (January 8, 2011)
- Fort Hood attack (November 5, 2009)
- Northern Illinois University attack (February 14, 2008)
- Virginia Tech attack (April 16, 2007)
Additionally, Breitbart News reported that at least 46 people were shot, seven of them fatally, in Chicago over the weekend. At least 45 people were shot in Chicago over the weekend of June 7-9, and at least 41 were shot over Memorial Day weekend. There are no reports that bump stocks were used in any of the Chicago shootings.
AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and the writer and curator of Breitbart News’ weekly Second Amendment newsletter, Down Range with AWR Hawkins. He is Armed American Radio Turning Point USA Ambassador. AWR Hawkins has a PhD in Military History and specializes in the Vietnam War (Brown Water Navy), the US Navy since its founding, the Civil War, and Early Modern Europe. Follow him on Instagram. FollowYou can subscribe to Downrange at breitbart.com/downrange . To contact me directly, please email awrhawkins@breitbart.com
