Days after the United States Supreme Court struck down a rule that banned bump stocks, Senate Democrats attempted to pass a bill to ban the firearm accessory.
Democratic Senator Martin Heinrich of New Mexico asked for unanimous consent to pass a bill that would enact a federal ban on bump stocks, which use the recoil of the weapon to increase its rate of fire.
“As a firearms owner myself, there’s no legitimate use for a bump stock – not for self-defense, not in a law enforcement context, not even in military applications … but what they are tailor-made for is a mass shooting,” Heinrich said.
Republican Senator Pete Ricketts of Nebraska objected to the motion, effectively killing the legislation.
“This bill may be called the BUMP Act, but it’s not really about bump stocks,” Ricketts said. “This bill is about banning as many firearm accessories as possible and giving ATF broad authority to ban most semiautomatic firearms.”
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who supports the ban on bump stocks, did not say whether he would bring the bill up for a full vote on the Senate floor. While the bill could find some Republican support, it is unlikely to get the 60 votes necessary to pass the divided chamber.
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