The U.S. Supreme Court last Friday ruled the federal ban on “Bump Stocks” invalid, and Republican senators on Tuesday (June 18) blocked the advancement of a bill to ban bump stocks in Congress.
According to media reports, the bill was introduced by Democratic senators Martin Heinrich and Susan Collins. The bill would impose a federal ban on the sale of bump stock devices. Democrats attempted to force a verbal vote on the bill but did not receive any support from Republicans.
The 2017 mass shooting at the Las Vegas country music festival, where a gunman used a rifle equipped with a bump stock, resulted in the deaths of 58 people. Under public pressure, the Trump administration issued the ban in 2019. Firearms equipped with bump stocks can fire up to 9 bullets in one second.
Last week, the Supreme Court overturned the ban by a vote of six to three. In a majority opinion written by Justice Clarence Thomas, it was stated that semi-automatic rifles with bump stocks are not illegal automatic weapons. Although they can rapidly trigger the trigger, they are still only able to fire one bullet at a time.
Heinrich urged the Senate to vote on the issue, stating, “I refuse to stand idly by and wait for the next mass shooting event to occur… Bump stocks serve no legitimate purpose.”
Nebraska Senator Pete Ricketts, representing the Republicans, opposed the bill and prevented an immediate vote on it. He called the legislation an “overreach to seize firearms,” arguing that bump stocks could be interpreted as gun accessories rather than safety devices.
Ricketts stated, “This bill will not pass because there are still enough people in this building who believe in the Constitution, which grants Americans the right to bear arms.”
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has been pushing for legislation during the election year, prioritizing issues that Democrats see as politically advantageous for voting. In recent weeks, Republicans have blocked bills regarding contraceptive coverage and reproductive health care, dismissing them as Democratic “political theater.”
North Carolina Republican Senator Thom Tillis, who collaborated with Democrats on bipartisan gun legislation two years ago, criticized Schumer’s approach to the bump stock ban. Tillis mentioned that if Schumer was serious about banning bump stocks, he would have gathered those who worked on bipartisan bills in a room, but instead, it was seen as a political exercise and a disgrace.
Schumer rebutted, “Republicans labeling the vote on banning bump stocks as ‘theater’ is inappropriate. Please tell that to the families who lost loved ones in (shooting incidents).”
Meanwhile, other matters in the Senate have come to a standstill, with negotiations on legislation related to railroad safety, agricultural projects, taxation, and prescription drugs at a stalemate during this contentious election year.
Schumer indicated that he may continue to hold repeated votes on these bills, including another bipartisan compromise immigration bill that was rejected by Republicans earlier this year.