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Limit on Gun Law Passes; Senate Vote Unlikely
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Jim Manley, a spokesman for the majority leader, said Reid planned to consult with other senators on how to proceed on the bill. But he added that legislators "have a long list of things to do in the remaining days of the Senate, and not a lot of time to do them."
Time limitations aren't the only reason the bill might not pass. Some Democrats are wary about subjecting senators -- including presidential candidate Barack Obama (D-Ill.) -- to a vote on the hot-button issue just weeks before the election.
D.C. officials expressed outrage yesterday at the House vote. The bill was changed at the last minute to address one of their biggest concerns, that it would allow residents to carry semiautomatic weapons in the streets. Instead, residents could have such firearms only in their homes.
But the bill would sharply limit the District's ability to set up a new gun registration system.
"I am extremely disappointed that the House of Representatives has rushed to trample on the rights of D.C. taxpayers and moved to significantly and dangerously change our gun laws," said D.C. Council Chairman Vincent C. Gray (D).
He noted that the vote came hours after Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) signed emergency legislation that allows city residents to own semiautomatic pistols, the most common type of handgun. The law still would ban semiautomatic rifles.
The House measure was sponsored by Rep. Travis Childers (D-Miss.), a little-known freshman facing a tight reelection race. The Democratic leadership agreed to allow a vote on it after a similar Republican bill gained enough momentum to potentially reach the floor.
Only seven Republicans opposed the bill, including Rep. Wayne T. Gilchrest of Maryland. Supporters included Rep. Tom Davis (R-Va.), who has championed D.C. voting rights and has opposed past congressional efforts to loosen the city's gun laws.
Democratic legislators from the Washington area voted against the gun bill.
