2016 Postmortem
In reply to the discussion: Enough of the bull$hit. It's not that HRC and cronies think Bernie can't get single payer passed [View all]pnwmom
(108,977 posts)the years he voted against the Brady bill and for the PLCAA, among other pro-gun bills.
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/jurisprudence/2015/05/bernie_sanders_on_guns_vermont_independent_voted_against_gun_control_for.html
anders, an economic populist and middle-class pugilist, doesnt talk much about guns on the campaign trail. But his voting record paints the picture of a legislator who is both skeptical of gun control and invested in the interests of gun ownersand manufacturers. In 1993, then-Rep. Sanders voted against the Brady Act, which mandated federal background checks for gun purchasers and restricted felons access to firearms. As a senator, Sanders supported bills to allow firearms in checked bags on Amtrak trains and block funding to any foreign aid organization that registered or taxed Americans guns. Sanders is dubious that gun control could help prevent gun violence, telling one interviewer after Sandy Hook that if you passed the strongest gun control legislation tomorrow, I dont think it will have a profound effect on the tragedies we have seen. (He has since endorsed some modest gun control measures.)
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But Sanders vote for a different kind of pro-gun bill is more puzzlingand profoundly disturbing. In 2005, a Republican-dominated Congress passed the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA). This law doesnt protect gun owners; it protects gun manufacturers, distributors, dealers, and importers. The PLCAA was the No. 1 legislative priority of the National Rifle Association for years, because it shields gun makers and dealers from most liability when their firearms are used criminally. It is one of the most noxious pieces of pro-gun legislation ever passed. And Bernie Sanders voted for it. (Sanders campaign has not replied to a request for comment.)