Vox: Bernie Sanders and guns, explained

[portlander23]

Bernie Sanders and guns, explained
German Lopez
Vox

Now, Sanders isn't — as some people have described him — a "gun nut," but he does have a mixed voting record on gun policy. As a former representative and now senator of the very liberal Vermont, Sanders has swung to the left on many issues, particularly the economy and health care. But guns are one issue his rural state, with its relatively high levels of gun ownership, is moderate on — since so many residents use firearms for hunting and sport.

Here are Sanders's major votes on gun legislation in Congress, taken largely from a great chart by PolitiFact:

1993: Opposed the Brady bill, which established background checks on firearms, due to his opposition to a five-day waiting period for background checks. (The five-day waiting period was temporary, eventually replaced with an instant background check system that can take up to three days if the initial check is inconclusive.)

1994 and 1996: Supported a ban on semi-automatic assault weapons, and opposed attempts to repeal the ban.

1999: Supported attempts to require background checks for all firearm purchases at gun shows.

2003 and 2005: Supported legislation that protects gun manufacturers and sellers from lawsuits over misuse of a firearm. (This vote is especially controversial among gun control advocates, who argue it's stopped people from holding gun makers and dealers accountable for producing and selling firearms they should have known would be diverted to criminal uses.)

2009 and 2013: Opposed allowing concealed carry between state lines.

2013: Supported expanding background checks, a ban on high-capacity ammunition magazines carrying more than 10 rounds, and a ban on assault weapons.

Related:

Buzzfeed: That Time Hillary Clinton’s Campaign Attacked Obama In 2008 For Flip-Flopping On Guns

[peacebird]

1. Pretty balanced on the issue imho