After Orlando, slight cracks in gun-rights' grip on Congress
Baby steps.
Enough? Republicans tell us none of this will work or make us safer.
Democrats disagree!
WHAT'S DIFFERENT
On Thursday, eight Senate Republicans an unusually high number backed an NRA-opposed compromise barring guns to some suspected terrorists.
It cleared a procedural vote 52-46 but fell short of the 60 votes it would need to survive a filibuster. Most Republicans opposed it, saying it lacked adequate protections for people erroneously on federal lists of terror suspects.
The eight Republicans included the proposal's chief author, moderate GOP Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, who's taken on the NRA before but this time found pragmatists from both parties as co-sponsors. Several are gun owners and one was Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D., who often backs the NRA and faces re-election in 2018.
Three Republicans who supported Collins have tight re-election fights this year. One, New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte, also voted this week for a more sweeping measure resembling one she'd opposed just seven months ago.
Keep the heat on our Congresspersons! Email, call, write letters, face book, tweet!
Enough! We can fix this!