Reid to bring gun bill to floor with expanded background checks

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) will bring gun control legislation to the floor that includes a controversial expansion of background checks for private firearm sales. 

Reid said he would on Thursday evening begin the process of bringing legislation to the floor for consideration in April.

“Later tonight, I will start the process of bringing a bill to reduce gun violence to the Senate floor. This bill will include the provisions on background checks, school safety and gun trafficking reported by the Judiciary Committee,” Reid said.

{mosads}Reid expressed hope that Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), who is taking the lead on expanded background checks, will find a Republican co-sponsor before the Senate considers the legislation in April.

“I hope negotiations will continue over the upcoming break to reach a bipartisan compromise on background checks, and I am hopeful that they will succeed. If a compromise is reached, I am open to including it in the base bill,” he said.

Senate Democratic aides describe the background-checks measure, which the Judiciary Committee passed by a party-line vote last week, as a placeholder. It would likely not receive 60 votes on the Senate floor.

Reid said the firearms bill must expand background checks.

“I want to be clear: In order to be effective, any bill that passes the Senate must include background checks,” he said.


“The bill I advance tonight will serve as the basis for opening debate,” he said. “Once debate begins, I will ensure that a ban on assault weapons, limits to high-capacity magazines, and mental health provisions receive votes, along with other amendments. In his State of the Union address, President Obama called for all of these provisions to receive votes, and I will ensure that they do.”

On Tuesday, Reid warned that any measure that cannot muster 60 votes might not be included in the base bill scheduled for floor consideration.

But after intense media coverage of his decision to drop the federal assault weapons ban from the measure, Reid decided to include background-checks legislation, though it lacks Republican support.

The gun control legislation was sparked by the December fatal shootings of 26 people, including 20 children, at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn.