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Can Democrats end the decades-long impasse on gun control? Mike Bebernes Senior Editor Thu, March 25, 2021, 10:37 AM What’s happening The recent mass shootings in Boulder, Colo., and the Atlanta area that led to a total of 18 deaths have reignited the debate over gun control in Washington. President Biden on Tuesday called for Congress to pass an assault weapons ban, a ban on high-capacity magazines and the elimination of loopholes in background checks for gun purchases. “This is not and should not be a partisan issue. This is an American issue. It will save lives. American lives. And we have to act,” he said. Biden’s comments, along with similar statements from other prominent Democrats, carried a familiar message to the one pushed by gun control advocates after each mass shooting. The United States has by far the highest rate of gun deaths of any developed nation — 41,000 in 2020 alone — but Congress hasn’t passed any meaningful restrictions on gun ownership in more than 25 years. As popular as many gun control proposals are with the public, attempts to enact them have consistently
stalled amid fervent political opposition from Republicans and a lack of unified support among Democrats. Earlier this month, the House of Representatives passed two bills that would expand background check requirements for gun sales, a provision that is supported by 92 percent of voters. The bills seem to have slim odds of advancing through the Senate, however. Republicans appear unified in opposition, meaning all 50 Democrats would have to vote to eliminate or amend the filibuster for the measures to pass. Moderate Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, who has sponsored background check bills in the past, has said he opposes these specific bills because they go further than he would like. Why there’s debate Many political observers say the latest mass shootings are destined to spark the same cycle that has been repeated time and again in recent years in which impassioned pleas for gun control run up against political roadblocks and eventually fade without any changes happening. The fact that even modest reforms like background checks can’t advance shows that more ambitious plans like an assault weapons ban have next to zero chance, they argue. Others say it’s more likely that gun rights will actually be expanded in the near future by Republican state legislatures or the conservative majority on the Supreme Court. Despite all these factors, some gun control supporters see reasons for optimism. They argue that advocacy groups like Everytown for Gun Safety and March for Our Lives have gained considerable power in recent years continued on the next page
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