Lawmakers look to restrict gun magazine capacity

December 24, 2012 @ 12:27 am


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Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) - Lawmakers from both parties voiced their willingness Sunday to pursue some changes to the nation's gun laws, but adamant opposition from the National Rifle Association has made clear than any such effort will face significant obstacles.

NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre dismissed efforts to revive a ban on assault weapons as a "phony piece of legislation" that's built on lies.

Democratic lawmakers in Congress have become more adamant about the need for stricter gun laws since the shooting of 20 children and six teachers at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California is promising to push for a renewal of expired legislation that banned certain weapons and limited the number of bullets a gun magazine could hold to 10.

"I think we ought to be looking at where the real danger is, like those large clips," said Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas.

"I think we need a comprehensive approach," said Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., a longtime gun rights supporter. "I'll look at all the proposals. . I think it looks at mental health, I think it looks at protecting our schools but I also think it looks at these high-volume magazines, you know, that can fire off so many rounds."

Both lawmakers appeared on CBS' "Face the Nation," where NRA President David Keene said lawmakers were asking the wrong question when discussing how many rounds a gun magazine should have.

The right question, he said: "Can we keep guns out of the hands of people who are potential killers?"

LaPierre made clear it was highly unlikely that the NRA could support any new gun regulations.

"You want one more law on top of 20,000 laws, when most of the federal gun laws we don't even enforce?" he said.

Instead, LaPierre reiterated the group's support for putting police officers in every school.

"If it's crazy to call for putting police and armed security in our schools to protect our children, then call me crazy," LaPierre said on NBC's "Meet the Press." "I think the American people think it's crazy not to do it. It's the one thing that would keep people safe."

Sen. Joe Lieberman, a Connecticut independent, said he found the NRA's statements in recent days to be "really disheartening." Still, he said he agrees with some of the points the group has made about the causes behind violence in America.

"But it's obviously also true that the easy availability of guns, including military-style assault weapons, is a contributing factor, and you can't keep that off the table. I had hoped they'd come to the table and say, everything is on the table," Lieberman said.

Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said LaPierre was "so extreme and so tone deaf" that he was making it easier to pass gun legislation.

"Look, he blames everything but guns: movies, the media, President Obama, gun-free school zones, you name it. And the video games, he blames them," Schumer said.

Lieberman said the NRA's stand on new gun rules means passing legislation next year won't happen easily.

"It's going to be a battle. But the president, I think, and vice president, are really ready to lead the fight," he said.


(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
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Comments (32)


  • Add A Comment

  • Drool wrote...
    I'm Curious
    December 21, 2012 8:08 am
    Was this news conference a gun free zone?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Forrest wrote...
    I'm sure Wayne LaPierre also said
    December 21, 2012 8:29 am
    that he and the rest of his right wing pals were going to cheerfully pay more taxes so we can hire the additional police officers to accomplish putting an armed policeman in every school.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • maplefish wrote...
    How about
    December 21, 2012 12:51 pm
    Pulling some of our troops from uneeded military posts in other countries and have them stand guard? And BTW Forrest, those of us who are members of the NRA pay plenty of taxes, so yeah, I'd rather have them take tax money from STUPID BOONDOOGLE investments like SOLYNDRA or ABC123 or any of the $800 BILLION wasted tax dollars to go towards guarding our children...You're an idiot
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Forrest wrote...
    Hey maplefish remember this?
    December 21, 2012 5:24 pm
    maplefish wrote... @Rick W7 December 15, 2012 2:55 pm Typical liberal. Lose the argument and start calling names.

    Thanks for calling me a name fish, you lose.

    How did the cross country flight in your helicopter to help the hurricane Sandy victims go? Did you get Christie and Obama straightened out or did your mommy make you come up from the basement for dinner?

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • maplefish wrote...
    All good jack wagon Forrest
    December 23, 2012 2:03 pm
    Helped my cousin & his neighbors workmen their houses for a week. Since our government isn't doing jackshit for those people, typical Obama, all talk no action. And those are facts, something you seem to constantly ignore. So yeah, I guess calling you a hypocrite and a typical whiney LIBERAL would be in order....I guess I must have struck a nerve?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • maplefish wrote...
    All good jack wagon Forrest
    December 23, 2012 2:08 pm
    Helped my cousin & his neighbors workmen their houses for a week. Since our government isn't doing jackshit for those people, typical Obama, all talk no action. And those are facts, something you seem to constantly ignore. So yeah, I guess calling you a hypocrite and a typical whiney LIBERAL would be in order....I guess I must have struck a nerve?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Drool wrote...
    OK, Wayne
    December 21, 2012 10:02 am
    Here's the plan. Armed trained security officers at EVERY school. Number of officers will be proportional to school size. All schools will be made physically secure from forced entry (barred windows, bullet resistant windows, etc). Any and all security measure will be financed by a firearms/ammunition tax.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Hayduke wrote...
    First of all, it won't stop the killers.
    December 21, 2012 10:21 am
    After all, a determined killer with high capacity magazines can get off plenty of shots in a matter of seconds, even if the cop happens to be nearby.

    Second, if you advocate for this, then STOP BIATCHING ABOUT TAXES. Tell us how much more you're willing to pay every year to fund it.

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • thelesserof2weevils wrote...
    MORE taxes?!?!
    December 21, 2012 12:42 pm
    Why is it we always default to calling for higher taxes? Is the government THAT efficient with the money they already take from us?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • awbitf wrote...
    And what about all the mass shootings
    December 21, 2012 12:03 pm
    at places that aren't schools? I guess we just need armed guards EVERYWHERE. Malls, parks, movie theatres, churches, etc.

    The NRA missed a huge opportunity. Instead of appealing to the masses, they chose to appeal to their own and preach to the choir. Science and statistics be damned, let's just blame video games again!

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Gar57 wrote...
    Can't have it both ways gundamentalists!
    December 21, 2012 12:45 pm
    Time to put up or shut up. It was the gun nuts in our society who brought us to the point where restricting firearms is an after-the-fact pointless waste of time. So tax the crap out of firearm and ammo and use the proceeds to arm every public square, school, church and shopping mall. Yay! Now we're an armed encampment in the name of freedom! Idiots.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • GT163 wrote...
    Guns
    December 21, 2012 1:40 pm
    You are an idiot! It's not the guns and I will not pay any taxes on guns I already own!!!!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • thelesserof2weevils wrote...
    The reason for the 2nd Amendment...
    December 21, 2012 12:47 pm
    As David McCullough said on 60 minutes, we are increasingly historically illiterate. We don't have this Right for hunting purposes...
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • doublej wrote...
    10 round magazines are a joke
    December 21, 2012 1:36 pm
    A gunman can take 30 shots with a 30 round magazine. If you somehow (not likely) restrict them to 10 round magazines, those can be ejected when empty and the firearm reloaded with a fresh magazine in 2-3 seconds. To get off the same 30 rounds, you force the gunman to reload twice. This saves a total of a whole 6 seconds max with 2, 3-second reloads. What person, having been pinned down by the first 10 shots would be able to react and escape with 3 seconds of no bullets being fired?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • GT163 wrote...
    Guns
    December 21, 2012 1:36 pm
    I just went to a local gunshop in Tacoma to buy one and they are literally running out of guns so get them while you can!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Saltchucker wrote...
    "we're coming after your guns"
    December 21, 2012 2:29 pm
    Hey CH, that sounds like a declaration of war. Non gun owners in a war against gun owners. Good luck with that.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }