65 Pro-gun Democrats Oppose New Assault Weapons Ban

SkySlash · March 18, 2009, 05:03 PM

Quote:

WASHINGTON (AP) — Sixty-five House Democrats said Wednesday that they would oppose any attempt by the Obama administration to revive a ban on military-style weapons that President Bill Clinton signed into law in 1994 and President George W. Bush let expire.

The pro-gun Democrats, led by Rep. Mike Ross, D-Ark., wrote Attorney General Eric Holder that they would "actively oppose any effort to reinstate the 1994 ban, or to pass any similar law."

Link to Article

This is fantastic news, and it really shows that our efforts on gun rights issues are not going unnoticed in Washington D.C.!

Keep up the good work, this is the kind of stand we need our representatives to be taking on our behalf!

-SS

RevNate · March 18, 2009, 05:10 PM

I was/am a bit disappointed in Ross for voting to confirm Holder.

At least now he is standing by his guns. He has traditionally done very well fighting for gun rights (NRA A+). I'm glad to have him as my congressman.

Nathan

SkySlash · March 18, 2009, 05:19 PM

Link to Letter sent to Eric Holder by the 65 Democrats.

Go read it and smile!

-SS

Glenn E. Meyer · March 18, 2009, 05:41 PM

Thanks for the link. I think it once again shows the need (as seen in this forum) to recognize that the struggle for gun rights cannot be confined/defined to one party or political ideology.

Wildalaska · March 18, 2009, 05:47 PM

You guys in the districts represented need to write thank you letters ending with the phrase: Please advise how I may help in your reelection campaign

WildmoneytalksAlaska TM

Kmar40 · March 18, 2009, 08:13 PM

Very good news.

elkman06 · March 18, 2009, 09:53 PM

Quote:

Thanks for the link. I think it once again shows the need (as seen in this forum) to recognize that the struggle for gun rights cannot be confined/defined to one party or political ideology.

Couldn't agree more. Good for all of us.
For those in the know,,would these gents fit the model of the Blue Dog Dem of the south in earlier times?
elkman06

robfromga · March 18, 2009, 10:21 PM

finally some good news!

dont let your guard down...we must keep pressure on our state reps. write them, only takes 20 mins. and please for the love of God join the nra or a likewise org.

blume357 · March 19, 2009, 07:04 AM

also supported Holder... but I would questions the tern Pro-Gun Demos or even Rupublican...

they maybe more 'Pro-get re-elected' than pro gun.

vranasaurus · March 19, 2009, 08:18 AM

This is the reason Pelosi slapped Holder down when he started talking about the AWB. She knows she doesn't have the votes and would look like a fool trying to bring back the AWB.

With 65 democrats voting against the AWB she would need to get 35 Republicans to vote for it. There would certainly be a few Republicans that would vote for this just based upon their districts but i don't think there are 35.

maestro pistolero · March 19, 2009, 12:05 PM

That letter gave me goose bumps. God Bless America.

armedtotheteeth · March 19, 2009, 12:20 PM

wonderful news!! This might slightly change the way I think of the Democratic Party. Maybe this will cause the prices to go down on Ars and 223 ammo

**Mike Irwin** · March 19, 2009, 01:14 PM

Hopefully once word about this gets out it will take some of the fire out of the panic buying that's going on and will allow ammo availability to ease a bit.

I am, however, kind of disappointed that it was only 65 democrats.

Yes, that's a good number, but that's still less than 1/3rd of the number currently in the house and it still points to SIGNIFICANT problems with the Democratic Party as a whole.

SIGSHR · March 20, 2009, 04:31 PM

Again, gun owners, advocates of the RKBA must become an independent bloc of voters that the Republicans cannot take for granted and the Democrats cannot cross except at their peril.

Wildalaska · March 20, 2009, 04:53 PM

Quote:

Hopefully once word about this gets out it will take some of the fire out of the panic buying that's going on and will allow ammo availability to ease a bit.

Nope.

Just had a guy come in and tell me that Obama is getting the army ready to go house to house to seize guns.

I turned to one of my buds standing there, an Army First Sar'nt and asked him if he was going to kick down doors and seize guns...

He smiled and said...only if they got collectable Colts and Winchesters, the hell with AKs and ther rest

WildhelphelpobummeriscomingAlaska ™

EastSideRich · March 20, 2009, 07:13 PM

Quote:

they maybe more 'Pro-get re-elected' than pro gun

Probably true for a lot of them, but I'll take it!

wildalaska, I hope you're wrong. This is a very good thing. I feel like everyone has been hanging in limbo waiting for something to happen regarding this - and buying up everything before it does.
This has got to put people at ease, at least a little, which should calm the panic buying.

Also, I agree we should all be writing any of our representatives who were in on this.
There are two MN congressmen, not in my district unfortunately, who will be getting thank you letters from me.
The NRA will also be getting a new member next week.

thallub · March 20, 2009, 08:08 PM

There are more than 65 Democrats in the house who can be depended on to vote against an AWB. The figure is somewhere between 80 and 90.

The house vote on the 1994 AWB was 216-214.

177 Democrats, 1 Independent and 38 Republicans voted for the ban.
77 Democrats and 137 Republicans against the ban. The retiring Republican house minority leader voted for the AWB. His vote put the bill over the top.

globemaster3 · March 20, 2009, 09:21 PM

Quote:

You guys in the districts represented need to write thank you letters ending with the phrase: Please advise how I may help in your reelection campaign

HEY (loud whistle included), guys, gals, Wild's got something good here that seems ya'll are missing!

If you are represented by these folks, let them know you appreciate it! Heck, I'm even considering letting them know and I've got no vote for them! We can sit here and bemoan the potential conflicts, but if you really want to do "all you can" for the future, you gotta keep on these poeple. That includes when they are doing something good, not just the gripes!

pichon · March 22, 2009, 02:05 AM

Done. Just wrote a letter to my congressman who is number 4 in the letter. I have never voted for him before but this is definitely giving me something to think about for future elections. Keep in mind most Utah Democrats are likely more conservative than Republicans in the north east

.

chemgirlie · March 25, 2009, 01:51 PM

Seeing as how I start most mornings in my favorite coffee shop which is about 2 blocks away from WI's capital building I went and dropped off my kudos letters this morning in person. I talked to one of their gophers and he seemed like he liked that somebody came to drop off a letter that didn't include negativity.

Bartholomew Roberts · March 25, 2009, 02:43 PM

Thallub, the vote you reference passed the House but died in the Senate. The 1994 ban started in the Senate and passed the House by a heftier margin.

thallub · March 25, 2009, 05:47 PM

Quote:

The 1994 ban started in the Senate and passed the House by a heftier margin.

No.

This is the house vote on the AWB. The vote was taken in May, 94. The AWB was a part of the Omnibus Crime Bill. The OCB was passed by the house by a much larger margin.

http://tech.mit.edu/V114/N26/ban.26w.html

http://www.armedfemalesofamerica.com...117130864.html

Quote:

The result was the bill passing by the narrowest of margins, with a vote count of 216 for the bill, 214 against and with 3 abstaining; it was numbered as one of the narrowest victories in legislative history. [8] Gun owners, divided by political infighting between weekend hunters (who see no need for assault weapons) and strict constitutionalists (who obviously do) were unable to effectively rally together for a common cause.

Bartholomew Roberts · March 25, 2009, 06:36 PM

Quote:

This is the house vote on the AWB. The vote was taken in May, 94.

Yes; but you are confusing two separate bills. H.R. 4296 passed the House but was placed on the Senate Calendar and never went anywhere and never became law. Instead, Senator Feinstein had already amended H.R. 3355 (The Omnibus Crime Bill) with the AWB and it passed the Senate and went to conference on November 19, 1993 (prior to H.R. 4296).

The House had already agreed to the Senate Amendment on 4/21/1994 and the Conference Report was filed on 8/21/1994. H.R. 4296 ended up being mostly symbolic.

thallub · March 25, 2009, 07:57 PM

The vote may have been symbolic. However, it is the vote that cost about 50 Democrats in the US house their seats in the 94 elections.

mnhntr · March 25, 2009, 08:04 PM

I emailed my representative to ask why his name was not on the list, even though the other MN rep is on it. Here is the reply i got.
Dear Mr. :

Thank you for sharing with me your opposition to any effort to reinstate the Assault Weapons Ban of 1994. I appreciate hearing from you concerning this important issue.

During a recent news conference to announce the arrest of Mexican drug dealers, Attorney General Eric Holder stated that the drug cartels were obtaining high-powered weapons from U.S. gun stores and that the Obama administration supported reinstituting the ban on the sale of assault weapons which expired on September 13, 2004.

I voted against the weapons ban when it came to the House floor in 1994.

I am following this issue closely and expect to vote against a reinstatement of the ban should it come up for a vote in the House of Representatives.

As I continue to oppose efforts to undermine Second Amendment freedoms, it is good to know that I have your support.

With best wishes.

Sincerely,

James L. Oberstar, M.C.

JLO/jjr

March 18, 2009, 05:10 PM	#2
RevNate Senior Member Join Date: November 1, 2001 Location: Arkansas Posts: 129	I was/am a bit disappointed in Ross for voting to confirm Holder. At least now he is standing by his guns. He has traditionally done very well fighting for gun rights (NRA A+). I'm glad to have him as my congressman. Nathan __________________ NRA Life Member Arkansas Concealed Carry Association http://www.arkansascca.org Molon labe Last edited by RevNate; March 18, 2009 at 05:20 PM.

March 18, 2009, 05:19 PM	#3
SkySlash Senior Member Join Date: November 6, 2001 Location: Mansfield, TX Posts: 493	Link to Letter sent to Eric Holder by the 65 Democrats. Go read it and smile! -SS __________________ There's no way to rule innocent men. The only power government has is the power to crack down on criminals. When there aren't enough criminals, one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws.

March 18, 2009, 05:41 PM	#4
Glenn E. Meyer Senior Member Join Date: November 17, 2000 Posts: 20,064	Thanks for the link. I think it once again shows the need (as seen in this forum) to recognize that the struggle for gun rights cannot be confined/defined to one party or political ideology. __________________ NRA, TSRA, IDPA, NTI, Polite Soc. - Aux Armes, Citoyens

March 19, 2009, 07:04 AM	#9
blume357 Senior Member Join Date: August 2, 2005 Location: Greenville, SC Posts: 3,943	Not to put down those Demo.... heck there were Rebubs that also supported Holder... but I would questions the tern Pro-Gun Demos or even Rupublican... they maybe more 'Pro-get re-elected' than pro gun.

March 19, 2009, 12:20 PM	#12
armedtotheteeth Senior Member Join Date: October 3, 2005 Location: podunk, Texas Posts: 1,610	wonderful news!! This might slightly change the way I think of the Democratic Party. Maybe this will cause the prices to go down on Ars and 223 ammo __________________ a well placed 22 bullet will out perform a poorly placed 50 BMg anyday. , Not really HA!!

March 18, 2009, 05:47 PM	#5
Wildalaska Junior member Join Date: November 25, 2002 Location: In my own little weird world in Anchorage, Alaska Posts: 14,172	You guys in the districts represented need to write thank you letters ending with the phrase: Please advise how I may help in your reelection campaign WildmoneytalksAlaska TM

March 18, 2009, 08:13 PM	#6
Kmar40 Senior Member Join Date: February 15, 2009 Posts: 668	Very good news.

March 18, 2009, 10:21 PM	#8
robfromga Senior Member Join Date: January 9, 2009 Location: Augusta, Ga Posts: 240	finally some good news! dont let your guard down...we must keep pressure on our state reps. write them, only takes 20 mins. and please for the love of God join the nra or a likewise org.

March 19, 2009, 08:18 AM	#10
vranasaurus Senior Member Join Date: November 16, 2008 Posts: 1,184	This is the reason Pelosi slapped Holder down when he started talking about the AWB. She knows she doesn't have the votes and would look like a fool trying to bring back the AWB. With 65 democrats voting against the AWB she would need to get 35 Republicans to vote for it. There would certainly be a few Republicans that would vote for this just based upon their districts but i don't think there are 35.

March 19, 2009, 12:05 PM	#11
maestro pistolero Senior Member Join Date: August 16, 2007 Posts: 2,153	That letter gave me goose bumps. God Bless America.

March 19, 2009, 01:14 PM	#13
Mike Irwin Staff Join Date: April 13, 2000 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 41,380	Hopefully once word about this gets out it will take some of the fire out of the panic buying that's going on and will allow ammo availability to ease a bit. I am, however, kind of disappointed that it was only 65 democrats. Yes, that's a good number, but that's still less than 1/3rd of the number currently in the house and it still points to SIGNIFICANT problems with the Democratic Party as a whole. __________________ "The gift which I am sending you is called a dog, and is in fact the most precious and valuable possession of mankind" -Theodorus Gaza Baby Jesus cries when the fat redneck doesn't have military-grade firepower.

March 20, 2009, 04:31 PM	#14
SIGSHR Senior Member Join Date: September 13, 2005 Posts: 4,700	Again, gun owners, advocates of the RKBA must become an independent bloc of voters that the Republicans cannot take for granted and the Democrats cannot cross except at their peril.

March 20, 2009, 08:08 PM	#17
thallub Senior Member Join Date: November 20, 2007 Location: South Western OK Posts: 3,112	There are more than 65 Democrats in the house who can be depended on to vote against an AWB. The figure is somewhere between 80 and 90. The house vote on the 1994 AWB was 216-214. 177 Democrats, 1 Independent and 38 Republicans voted for the ban. 77 Democrats and 137 Republicans against the ban. The retiring Republican house minority leader voted for the AWB. His vote put the bill over the top.

March 22, 2009, 02:05 AM	#19
pichon Senior Member Join Date: January 26, 2009 Posts: 439	Done. Just wrote a letter to my congressman who is number 4 in the letter. I have never voted for him before but this is definitely giving me something to think about for future elections. Keep in mind most Utah Democrats are likely more conservative than Republicans in the north east .

March 25, 2009, 01:51 PM	#20
chemgirlie Senior Member Join Date: February 3, 2009 Location: WI Posts: 331	Seeing as how I start most mornings in my favorite coffee shop which is about 2 blocks away from WI's capital building I went and dropped off my kudos letters this morning in person. I talked to one of their gophers and he seemed like he liked that somebody came to drop off a letter that didn't include negativity.

March 25, 2009, 02:43 PM	#21
Bartholomew Roberts member Join Date: June 12, 2000 Location: Texas and Oklahoma area Posts: 8,462	Thallub, the vote you reference passed the House but died in the Senate. The 1994 ban started in the Senate and passed the House by a heftier margin.

March 25, 2009, 07:57 PM	#24
thallub Senior Member Join Date: November 20, 2007 Location: South Western OK Posts: 3,112	The vote may have been symbolic. However, it is the vote that cost about 50 Democrats in the US house their seats in the 94 elections.

March 25, 2009, 08:04 PM	#25
mnhntr Senior Member Join Date: April 9, 2008 Posts: 972	I emailed my representative to ask why his name was not on the list, even though the other MN rep is on it. Here is the reply i got. Dear Mr. : Thank you for sharing with me your opposition to any effort to reinstate the Assault Weapons Ban of 1994. I appreciate hearing from you concerning this important issue. During a recent news conference to announce the arrest of Mexican drug dealers, Attorney General Eric Holder stated that the drug cartels were obtaining high-powered weapons from U.S. gun stores and that the Obama administration supported reinstituting the ban on the sale of assault weapons which expired on September 13, 2004. I voted against the weapons ban when it came to the House floor in 1994. I am following this issue closely and expect to vote against a reinstatement of the ban should it come up for a vote in the House of Representatives. As I continue to oppose efforts to undermine Second Amendment freedoms, it is good to know that I have your support. With best wishes. Sincerely, James L. Oberstar, M.C. JLO/jjr

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