Gun-control legislation: The difference between 1994 and today

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg may be the most outspoken elected official advocating for enhanced gun safety laws, but the New York public servant who has hands-on experience in Washington getting such legislation passed is promoting the use of smart phones to hail cabs in Manhattan.

In a prior life, New York’s taxi and limousine commissioner, David Yassky, played a major role in writing the 1994 Assault Weapons Ban, which outlawed the production of certain types of weapons and limited the size of high capacity magazines. As chief counsel to then-Rep. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) on the House crime subcommittee, Yassky had a front-row seat to the last major congressional deal on guns — in which a congressman’s eleventh-hour change of heart gave gun-control advocates a two-vote victory in the House, where Democrats were in the majority.

Graphic

Look at gun homicides and gun ownership by country

Related stories

On gun control, Obama’s record shows a lack of political will — until now

Philip Rucker and Sari Horwitz

Until the Newtown attack, the issue was deemed politically untouchable.

History of gun control is cautionary tale for those who seek regulations

Scott Higham, Sari Horwitz, David S. Fallis and Joel Achenbach

The fights ahead will be protracted and brutal — and any legislation may well be riddled with loopholes.

Frustrating search for motive

Marc Fisher, Robert O’Harrow and Peter Finn

With Newtown attack, Adam Lanza gave little away.

Obama wants action on guns within a year, calls for fundamental change

Peter Whoriskey and Sean Sullivan

In interview on NBC, he reaffirmed intent to address guns, said day of killings was worst of his presidency.

History of gun-control legislation

A look at legislation since 1934 regulating guns in the United States.

Haunted by Sandy Hook

CLOSE TO HOME | Beyond our love, we can guarantee our children so little.

Remembering the victims

A look at the 27 people killed by a gunman in Newtown.

Although the massacre of 20 children and six adults in a Newtown, Conn., school seems to have added impetus for reconsideration of gun laws, many of the elements that Yassky says were essential for victory in the close House battle have been absent in recent years. One glaring difference between the political landscape today and some 18 years ago: Democrats no longer control the House.

In 1994, Rahm Emanuel, President Bill Clinton’s then-political director, played a key role in wrangling votes; a coalition of police and sheriff’s groups, some from gun country, who supported new gun regulation offered lawmakers political cover; and there was strong leadership in Congress.

Yassky recalled how Schumer organized an effort to find votes in each region of the country, especially among members in pro-gun districts with enough popularity to survive an erosion of support. Schumer carried a list of five colleagues to lobby every time members met on the floor. Staffers spent months in substantive talks about which guns would and wouldn’t be covered. Concessions also played a role in fashioning a deal: The agreement to require the gun control measure to be renewed — or lapse — after 10 years brought a score of votes along. The central requirement though, Yassky said, was political courage.

“Maybe it’s obvious,” he said, “but you need some heroes from tough districts.”

In 1994, House Speaker Tom Foley (D-Wash.) hailed from a pro-gun district, as did Jack Brooks, the Democrat from gun-friendly Texas and the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. Neither was interested in the issue, and rather than push stand-alone legislation, Schumer had to offer the ban as an amendment to then-Sen. Joe Biden’s (D-Del.) crime bill. Most Republicans opposed the measure, and those who might have been theoretically favorable were loathe to hand Democrats a legislative victory.

After months of work, Schumer felt comfortable enough that the moment was ripe for a vote. After 15 minutes of tallying, the board showed a tied vote — not enough to prevail. Then Andrew Jacobs, a Democrat from a pro-gun district to Indiana who had initially voted against the measure, approached the well and changed his vote.