Arizona slayings spark gun control debate, but major legislation unlikely
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The recent killings in Arizona have reignited the debate over gun control, but so far there is little support for any attempts at sweeping legislation tried in the past, lawmakers said.
This comes after a shooting spree earlier this month that killed six people and wounded 13, including a 9-year-old girl and U.S. Republican Gabrielle Giffords, who remains in critical condition from a gunshot wound to the head.
The alleged shooter, 22-year-old Jared Lee Loughner, is said by friends and former teachers to have exhibited bizarre and disruptive behavior in the lead-up to the shootings, including an obsession with Giffords dating back to 2007.
"There haven't been the votes in the congress for gun control," said Senator Charles Schumer Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press."
"Senator (Dianne) Feinstein (D-Calif.) tried to bring the assault weapons ban back on the floor. It didn't pass. So we are looking for things where we could maybe find some common ground and get something done," he said. ' Lawmakers will instead focus on plugging the holes in existing laws, some of which allow mentally disturbed individuals to get their hands on firearms.
Democratic lawmakers are expected to push for laws limiting the size of gun clips that allow attackers to fire more than two-dozen rounds before pausing to re-load, although Schumer conceded that even that small bit of legislation might be difficult to pass.
Senator Tom Coburn, a Republican from Oklahoma, who appeared alongside Schumer, said he would oppose clip limitations, as be believes gun legislation would not hinder lawbreakers from obtaining weapons. Still, he said he would work with Democrats to ensure that the mentally ill can not obtain firearms.
"If you have somebody who's a criminal who wants to get around the law, they are going to get around the law," Coburn said. "The problem with gun laws is they limit the ability to defend yourself ... but number two is the people who are going to commit a crime or do something crazy, aren't going to pay attention to the laws in the first place."
Politico.com reported that Representative Carolyn McCarthy, whose husband was killed with a firearm more than a decade ago, has vowed to introduce legislation against the type of gun clip used in the Arizona slayings.
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