California Democratic senator, Dianne Feinstein, offered up her wide reaching assault weapons ban legislation as an amendment to the Democrat’s proposed comprehensive gun control package.
Feinstein delivered a heated speech before the vote, bucking Senate rules and going well over her allowed two minute to debate.
As expected, the bill failed by a wide margin with a vote of 40 (yays) – 60 (nays)
The measure needed 60 votes in order move forward.
The large disparity of the number of senators voting in favor of the bill shows the extreme lack of support for strict gun control in Congress right now.
During her arguments Feinstein argued that all of the measures being discussed today needed a 60 vote majority, saying that a simple majority was supposed to advance legislation.
Feinstein also said her fellow senators lacked courage and that they were elected to 6 year terms so they could make tough decisions.
This vote effectively kills this particular piece of legislation.
Feinstein’s bill would have banned the future manufacture and sale of almost all types of semi automatic weapons holding more than 10 rounds of ammunition.
List of Republicans Who Voted for Gun Control Bill and Democrats Who Voted Against It
The Toomey-Manchin gun contorl amendment was thought to be the Senate’s best shot at passing any gun control this legislation.
It failed to reach the 60 votes needed, getting only 54 of the needed votes.
The defeat of this bill should more or less kill gun control for the immediate future in Congress.
Several senators from both parties defied their party’s stance.
The Democrats voting AGAINST gun control:
- Max Baucus (D-Mont.)
- Mark Begich (D-Alaska)
- Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.)
- Mark Pryor (D-Ark.)
- Harry Reid (D-Nev.)*
*Note: Reid’s vote was only a procedural vote. Reid had to vote no in order to bring the matter back up again
Republicans voting FOR gun control:
- Susan Collins (R-Maine)
- Mark Kirk (R-Ill.)
- John McCain (R-Ariz.)
Source: POLITICO