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| Obama targets gun control after horror of Newtown – but will Congress act? | |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Days after the massacre at a Colorado cinema in July, a member of Congress from the state, Diana DeGette, made a plea. | Days after the massacre at a Colorado cinema in July, a member of Congress from the state, Diana DeGette, made a plea. |
| "We don't believe that [the US constitution] guarantees somebody the right to walk into a movie theater with a semi-automatic weapon and 100-round ammo magazine and shoot 71 people," she said. "We don't believe that, and we believe that we need to have a national conversation." | "We don't believe that [the US constitution] guarantees somebody the right to walk into a movie theater with a semi-automatic weapon and 100-round ammo magazine and shoot 71 people," she said. "We don't believe that, and we believe that we need to have a national conversation." |
| DeGette's appeal for a discussion of gun control ran into a brick wall. | DeGette's appeal for a discussion of gun control ran into a brick wall. |
| The Republican speaker of the House of Representatives, John Boehner, and the Democratic leader in the Senate, Harry Reid, were united in their opposition. | The Republican speaker of the House of Representatives, John Boehner, and the Democratic leader in the Senate, Harry Reid, were united in their opposition. |
| "I think that what's appropriate at this point is to look at all the laws that we already have on the books to make sure that they're working as they were intended to work," said Boehner. | "I think that what's appropriate at this point is to look at all the laws that we already have on the books to make sure that they're working as they were intended to work," said Boehner. |
| Many members of Congress regard gun control as an issue that can only bring them problems. Support for greater restrictions attracts the opposition of the powerful pro-gun lobby, the National Rifle Association, without winning many votes. | Many members of Congress regard gun control as an issue that can only bring them problems. Support for greater restrictions attracts the opposition of the powerful pro-gun lobby, the National Rifle Association, without winning many votes. |
| After the horror of Newtown, the issue is back on the agenda with more powerful voices calling for reform, from New York's mayor, Michael Bloomberg, to leading senators. Among them is Joe Manchin, a conservative Democrat from West Virginia and NRA member, who said on Monday it was time to "move beyond rhetoric" and discuss new gun controls. | After the horror of Newtown, the issue is back on the agenda with more powerful voices calling for reform, from New York's mayor, Michael Bloomberg, to leading senators. Among them is Joe Manchin, a conservative Democrat from West Virginia and NRA member, who said on Monday it was time to "move beyond rhetoric" and discuss new gun controls. |
| "I don't know anyone in the sporting or hunting arena that goes out with an assault rifle," he said on MSNBC. "I don't know anyone that needs 30 rounds in a clip to go hunting. I mean, these are things that need to be talked about." | "I don't know anyone in the sporting or hunting arena that goes out with an assault rifle," he said on MSNBC. "I don't know anyone that needs 30 rounds in a clip to go hunting. I mean, these are things that need to be talked about." |
| The question for Barack Obama is whether the rest of Congress agrees. | The question for Barack Obama is whether the rest of Congress agrees. |
| The president's appeal at the memorial service for the Newtown victims for an end to the "carnage" and suggestion that he is finally willing to press for further controls on guns is mobilising activists, who believe that the brutal deaths of 20 small children has shocked the nation sufficiently to embrace change. | The president's appeal at the memorial service for the Newtown victims for an end to the "carnage" and suggestion that he is finally willing to press for further controls on guns is mobilising activists, who believe that the brutal deaths of 20 small children has shocked the nation sufficiently to embrace change. |
| The immediate push is for a renewal of the 1994 Federal Assault Weapons Ban, which barred the manufacture and import of an array semi-automatic weapons and high capacity bullet magazines. | The immediate push is for a renewal of the 1994 Federal Assault Weapons Ban, which barred the manufacture and import of an array semi-automatic weapons and high capacity bullet magazines. |
| Semi-automatics fitted with large magazines have been a feature of most recent massacres in the US, including in Newtown. | Semi-automatics fitted with large magazines have been a feature of most recent massacres in the US, including in Newtown. |
| The law expired in 2004 amid strong resistance from the gun lobby, which said it had no discernible impact on crime levels. The Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, named after the White House press secretary wounded in an assassination attempt against President Ronald Reagan in 1981, countered that the ban led to a significant drop in the number of such guns used in crime, although they were always only a fraction of the total. | The law expired in 2004 amid strong resistance from the gun lobby, which said it had no discernible impact on crime levels. The Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, named after the White House press secretary wounded in an assassination attempt against President Ronald Reagan in 1981, countered that the ban led to a significant drop in the number of such guns used in crime, although they were always only a fraction of the total. |
| But crime statistics aside, an attempt to renew the ban is likely to face entrenched resistance from the NRA and many gun owners that could scare off congressional support. | But crime statistics aside, an attempt to renew the ban is likely to face entrenched resistance from the NRA and many gun owners that could scare off congressional support. |
| After Congress passed the original restrictions on semi-automatics in 1994, Democrats lost control of the House of Representatives for the first time in nearly 40 years. The issue helped mobilise the gun lobby, as opposition coalesced around the idea that the ban was the first step toward taking away guns from Americans. | After Congress passed the original restrictions on semi-automatics in 1994, Democrats lost control of the House of Representatives for the first time in nearly 40 years. The issue helped mobilise the gun lobby, as opposition coalesced around the idea that the ban was the first step toward taking away guns from Americans. |
| An NRA campaign helped oust members of Congress who supported the ban, including the Democratic speaker, Tom Foley. Clinton acknowledged in his autobiography that his gun control legislation damaged the Democrats at the ballot box. | An NRA campaign helped oust members of Congress who supported the ban, including the Democratic speaker, Tom Foley. Clinton acknowledged in his autobiography that his gun control legislation damaged the Democrats at the ballot box. |
| "The NRA had a great night. They beat both Speaker Tom Foley and Jack Brooks, two of the ablest members of Congress, who had warned me this would happen. Foley was the first speaker to be defeated in more than a century," he wrote. "The gun lobby claimed to have defeated 19 of the 24 members on its hit list. They did at least that much damage and could rightly claim to have made Gingrich the House speaker." | "The NRA had a great night. They beat both Speaker Tom Foley and Jack Brooks, two of the ablest members of Congress, who had warned me this would happen. Foley was the first speaker to be defeated in more than a century," he wrote. "The gun lobby claimed to have defeated 19 of the 24 members on its hit list. They did at least that much damage and could rightly claim to have made Gingrich the House speaker." |
| That has left political scars. When the ban on semi-automatics came up for a renewal a decade later, many politicians concluded there was little to be gained and a lot to lose in crossing the NRA. The renewal was blocked in the Senate. | That has left political scars. When the ban on semi-automatics came up for a renewal a decade later, many politicians concluded there was little to be gained and a lot to lose in crossing the NRA. The renewal was blocked in the Senate. |
| Since then, a Congresswoman from New York, Carolyn McCarthy, whose husband was among six people shot dead by a gunman on a train in 1993, has repeatedly introduced bills to renew the ban. None of them made it out of committee. | Since then, a Congresswoman from New York, Carolyn McCarthy, whose husband was among six people shot dead by a gunman on a train in 1993, has repeatedly introduced bills to renew the ban. None of them made it out of committee. |
| Step forward to 2012, and the NRA is regarded as intimidating as ever. The Sunlight Foundation explained the reason in one graph – it spent almost $25m in the 2012 election cycle, 66 times more than the Brady campaign. | Step forward to 2012, and the NRA is regarded as intimidating as ever. The Sunlight Foundation explained the reason in one graph – it spent almost $25m in the 2012 election cycle, 66 times more than the Brady campaign. |
| But the actual power of the NRA is open to dispute, and the presidential election data supports the theory that it is not as terrifying as it appears. The NRA, through its Political Victory Fund, spent almost $12m in a failed attempt to stop Obama's re-election, according to Sunlight, which also found that across all the races the fund invested in, the NRA enjoyed a return rate of just 0.83%. | But the actual power of the NRA is open to dispute, and the presidential election data supports the theory that it is not as terrifying as it appears. The NRA, through its Political Victory Fund, spent almost $12m in a failed attempt to stop Obama's re-election, according to Sunlight, which also found that across all the races the fund invested in, the NRA enjoyed a return rate of just 0.83%. |
| Some members of Congress have suggested the pro-gun lobby is able to mobilise far fewer votes than it claims, and that its influence lies in its ability to intimidate, not least by threatening to throw millions into congressional races to support or oppose individual candidates. | Some members of Congress have suggested the pro-gun lobby is able to mobilise far fewer votes than it claims, and that its influence lies in its ability to intimidate, not least by threatening to throw millions into congressional races to support or oppose individual candidates. |
| "I believe the NRA has as much sway on Capitol Hill as any lobbying group in the country," Mike Castle, a former Republican congressman, told National Public Radio. "They've done a very effective job of convincing people that, whether it's true or not … they have the power to completely limit their futures in elected office if they don't co-operate." | "I believe the NRA has as much sway on Capitol Hill as any lobbying group in the country," Mike Castle, a former Republican congressman, told National Public Radio. "They've done a very effective job of convincing people that, whether it's true or not … they have the power to completely limit their futures in elected office if they don't co-operate." |
| Few dispute, though, that however the NRA exercises its influence, it is considerable. If renewing the entire assault weapons ban proves too hard, gun control advocates may have more luck in reintroducing restrictions on the size of magazines. Under the 1994 law, new magazines could not hold more than 10 bullets. That restriction fell away a decade later. | Few dispute, though, that however the NRA exercises its influence, it is considerable. If renewing the entire assault weapons ban proves too hard, gun control advocates may have more luck in reintroducing restrictions on the size of magazines. Under the 1994 law, new magazines could not hold more than 10 bullets. That restriction fell away a decade later. |
| James Holmes, who murdered 12 people at a Colorado cinema in July, used a drum magazine capable of holding about 100 bullets which could all be fired in less than two minutes. | James Holmes, who murdered 12 people at a Colorado cinema in July, used a drum magazine capable of holding about 100 bullets which could all be fired in less than two minutes. |
| Pressure is also building for tighter background checks on gun owners, particularly to weed out those with a history of mental illness. Some gun control advocates say the Obama administration does not enforce existing requirements vigorously enough. But even with better checks there is an enormous loophole – gun shows. | Pressure is also building for tighter background checks on gun owners, particularly to weed out those with a history of mental illness. Some gun control advocates say the Obama administration does not enforce existing requirements vigorously enough. But even with better checks there is an enormous loophole – gun shows. |
| Private sellers at America's ubiquitous gun shows can sell any weapon to anyone without even asking for identification. Buying a semi-automatic at a gun show is as easy as picking up a loaf of bread in a supermarket. | Private sellers at America's ubiquitous gun shows can sell any weapon to anyone without even asking for identification. Buying a semi-automatic at a gun show is as easy as picking up a loaf of bread in a supermarket. |
| Bloomberg has been pressing for years for a change in the law. Last year he released a video recorded at a gun show at which an undercover investigator was sold a gun even though he told the seller he could not possibly pass a federal background check. | Bloomberg has been pressing for years for a change in the law. Last year he released a video recorded at a gun show at which an undercover investigator was sold a gun even though he told the seller he could not possibly pass a federal background check. |
| Bloomberg said that many of those who describe themselves as private sellers at gun shows are in fact professional weapons dealers looking to get around the requirement to make background checks on buyers. | Bloomberg said that many of those who describe themselves as private sellers at gun shows are in fact professional weapons dealers looking to get around the requirement to make background checks on buyers. |
| "We have demonstrated how easy it is for anyone to buy a semi-automatic handgun and a high-capacity magazine, no questions asked," said Bloomberg. | "We have demonstrated how easy it is for anyone to buy a semi-automatic handgun and a high-capacity magazine, no questions asked," said Bloomberg. |