Gun Bills, Gun politics (UPDATE)

OpenCongress has recently reformatted itself, and I find it hard to find anything there anymore. An "issue" search for "gun" or "firearm" turns up--pretty much nothing.

Doing the same on Govtrack gives me the following; obviously, there is overlap between "gun" and "firearm" legislation, and between measures in both chambers, not to mention a great many seeming irrelevancies.

I have re-edited this post to, among other things, clean up the list of bills, as follows. (Links go to the corresponding page on GovTrack for that bill.):

Bill Number & Title	Status	Last Action
H.Con.Res. 71: Expressing the Sense of the Congress that the Federal Government should not create a national database tracking firearm owners or firearm purchases.	Introduced	3/12/2009
H.R. 1022: Gang Prevention, Intervention, and Suppression Act	Introduced	2/12/2009
H.R. 1048: Asset Management Improvement Act of 2009	Introduced	2/12/2009
H.R. 1064: Youth Prison Reduction through Opportunities, Mentoring, Intervention, Support, and Education Act	Introduced	2/13/2009
H.R. 1074: Firearms Interstate Commerce Reform Act	Introduced	2/13/2009
H.R. 1105: Omnibus Appropriations Act, 2009	Enacted	3/11/2009
H.R. 1139: COPS Improvements Act of 2009	Passed House	4/23/2009
H.R. 1303: CAN DO Act of 2009	Introduced	3/4/200
H.R. 1448: Border Reinforcement and Violence Reduction Act of 2009	Introduced	3/11/2009
H.R. 1466: Major Drug Trafficking Prosecution Act of 2009	Introduced	3/12/2009
H.R. 1620: Secure Access to Firearms Enhancement (SAFE) Act of 2009	Introduced	3/19/2009
H.R. 17: Citizens' Self-Defense Act of 2009	Introduced	1/6/2009
H.R. 1913: Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009	Passed House	4/29/2009
H.R. 1923: Fairness in Firearm Testing Act	Introduced	4/2/2009
H.R. 197: National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act of 2009	Introduced	1/6/2009
H.R. 2083: Border Sovereignty and Protection Act	Introduced	4/23/2009
H.R. 2138: SERV Act	Introduced	4/28/2009
H.R. 2153: Second Amendment Restoration Act	Introduced	4/28/2009
H.R. 2159: Denying Firearms and Explosives to Dangerous Terrorists Act of 2009	Introduced	4/29/2009
H.R. 2202: Child Safety and Home Security Act of 2009	Introduced	4/30/2009
H.R. 2296: Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Reform and Firearms Modernization Act of 2009	Introduced	5/7/2009
H.R. 2324: Gun Show Loophole Closing Act of 2009	Introduced	5/7/2009
H.R. 2401: No Fly, No Buy Act of 2009	Introduced	5/13/2009
H.R. 256: David Ray Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009	Introduced	1/7/2009
H.R. 257: Child Gun Safety and Gun Access Prevention Act of 2009	Introduced	1/7/2009
H.R. 264: Save America Comprehensive Immigration Act of 2009	Introduced	1/7/2009
H.R. 2677: Military Personnel Protection Act of 2009	Introduced	6/3/2009
H.R. 2780: Federal Restricted Buildings and Grounds Improvement Act of 2009	Introduced	6/9/2009
H.R. 2857: Gang Deterrence and Community Protection Act of 2009	Introduced	6/12/2009
H.R. 2924: Presidential Commission to Study the Culture and Glorification of Violence in America Act	Introduced	6/17/2009
H.R. 2933: Firearm Recidivist Sentencing Act of 2009	Introduced	6/18/2009
H.R. 2984: United States Mariner and Vessel Protection Act of 2009	Introduced	6/19/2009
H.R. 3021: Citizens Protection Act of 2009	Introduced	6/24/2009
H.R. 3022: Second Amendment Protection Act of 2009	Introduced	6/24/2009
H.R. 3023: Anti-Terrorism Act of 2009	Introduced	6/24/2009
H.R. 442: Veterans' Heritage Firearms Act of 2009	Introduced	1/9/2009
H.R. 45: Blair Holt's Firearm Licensing and Record of Sale Act of 2009	Introduced	1/6/2009
H.R. 623: To provide for greater judicial discretion in sentencing for certain firearms offenses committed in exceptional circumstances.	Introduced	1/21/2009
H.R. 627: Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009	Enacted	5/22/2009
H.R. 673: Law Enforcement Officers Equity Act	Introduced	1/26/2009
H.R. 834: Ramos and Compean Justice Act of 2009	Introduced	2/3/2009
H.R. 866: Law Enforcement Protection Act	Introduced	2/4/2009
H.Res. 258: Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding drug trafficking in Mexico.	Introduced	3/18/2009
H.Res. 351: Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that a Federal statute requiring firearm registration would unduly burden the Second Amendment right of the people to keep and bear arms.	Introduced	4/22/2009
S. 1132: Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act Improvements Act of 2009	Introduced	5/21/2009
S. 1317: Denying Firearms and Explosives to Dangerous Terrorists Act of 2009	Introduced	6/22/2009
S. 132: Gang Abatement and Prevention Act of 2009	Introduced	1/6/2009
S. 160: District of Columbia House Voting Rights Act of 2009	Passed Senate	2/26/2009
S. 167: COPS Improvements Act of 2009	Introduced	1/8/2009
S. 371: Respecting States Rights and Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2009	Introduced	2/3/2009
S. 435: Youth Prison Reduction through Opportunities, Mentoring, Intervention, Support, and Education Act	Introduced	2/13/2009
S. 556: Firearms Transfer Improvement Act	Introduced	3/10/2009
S. 650: Federal Death Penalty Abolition Act of 2009	Introduced	3/19/2009
S. 843: Gun Show Background Check Act of 2009	Introduced	4/21/2009
S. 845: Respecting States Rights and Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2009	Introduced	4/21/2009
S. 902: SERV Act	Introduced	4/27/2009
S. 909: Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act	Introduced	4/28/2009
S. 941: Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Reform and Firearms Modernization Act of 2009	Introduced	4/30/2009
S.Res. 72: A resolution expressing the sense of the Senate regarding drug trafficking in Mexico.	Introduced	3/10/2009

I eliminated duplicate bills, and eliminated some that didn't belong.

Also, I stand corrected: S. 845 is still alive; the Thune Amendment essentially replicated the verbiuage of S 845; on that subject, I was previously silent.

In case anyone reading my blog missed it, the Thune Amendment was an amendment to the Defense Appropriations bill that would have required all states that issue concelaed pistols licenses to their residents to recognize concealed pistols licenses from any other state. I have previously gone on record as saying that I feel that it is a state's rights issue, and that the Federal Government should not get involved; when Patty Murray, D-Soccer Mom, told fellow Washington voter Joe Huffman that, he responded that in that case, the Federal Government should repeal all of it's firearms legislation and regulations passed after the Second Amendment.

Sailor Curt also replies on comments to the original version of this post with a link to a post with several points disputing the claim that this is a States' Rights issue. Bottom line of Curt's argument is that (the) "Thune amendment was Constitutional under Article 4, Section 1" as follows:

Section 1. Full faith and credit shall be given in each state to the public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of every other state. And the Congress may by general laws prescribe the manner in which such acts, records, and proceedings shall be proved, and the effect thereof.

(Emphasis added.)

Meanwhile, Dana Milbank of the Washington Post, of all sources, ran an interesting piece that well illustrates the cynical chicanery that goes on in Washington DC, and, indeed, anywhere politicians are allowed to roam free...

Gun-Shy

By Dana Milbank
Thursday, July 23, 2009

How do you outgun the NRA? Very, very carefully.

Mark Pryor knows all about that. The Democratic senator from pro-gun Arkansas was nowhere to be seen on the Senate floor during Wednesday's showdown over a proposal, championed by the National Rifle Association, that would have gutted state gun-control laws across the nation.

After a morning of angry speeches, a vote was called at high noon. Toward the end of the vote, Pryor entered the chamber through the back door, took a few steps inside, flashed a thumbs-down to the clerk, and retreated as fast and furtively as somebody dodging gunfire.

Several minutes later, the Democrats had racked up more than enough votes to block the proposal. "Are there any senators in the chamber wishing to vote or wishing to change their vote?" the presiding officer inquired.

Pryor burst back in, this time through a side door. "Mr. President!" he called out. "Mr. President!" He stopped in the well to consult with Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), a gun-control advocate who was keeping the whip sheet. Schumer gave Pryor a nod, and the Arkansan -- reassured that his vote was not needed to defeat the proposal -- changed his vote to an "aye."

First off, the Thune Amendment would not have "gutted" any state laws, except for the fact that, for example, Mrs. Drang and I would be able to legally defend ourselves while visiting her family in Oregon. (Oregon stops just short of denying applications for concealed carry licenses from non-residents.) Indeed, the burden would be on us to ensure we were in compliance with local laws. Granted, in this case it would mean that we could legally carry in a bar, unlike Washington, where such is ganz verboten. (Ironically, Washington State will issue a CPL to anyone who shows up to get fingerprinted, pays the processing fees, and can pass an FBI background check.)

Our WA CPL would NOT be valid in Illinois, Wisconsin, or Vermont--the first two because they do not trust their own citizens with the means of self-defense, and Vermont because it does not require a permit. (I suspect that, if the Thune Amendment becomes law after all, that Vermont will follow the lead of Alaska and issue permits to those requesting them, but not require one.)

Milbank goes on:

Only two Republicans went against the gun lobby, but that was enough to leave supporters just short of the 60 votes they needed. The slim margin was no accident: Other Democrats, such as Pennsylvania's Bob Casey and Colorado's Mark Udall and Michael Bennet, were said to have been willing to vote "no" if necessary. Twenty minutes after the voting began, Bennet and Udall left the cloakroom together and walked into the chamber. Bennet went to the well to consult with Schumer, who indicated that it was safe for Bennet -- a product of D.C.'s St. Albans School -- to vote with the NRA. Bennet looked to Udall, who gave an approving nod, and cast his "aye" vote.

Schumer found himself in the unusual position of opposing many of the moderate Democrats he helped bring to office as the head of Senate Democrats' campaign efforts, including Webb, Casey, Jon Tester (Mont.) and Mark Warner (Va.). "Senator," a reporter noted to Schumer at a post-vote news conference, "you were staring down some of the folks you were losing on the floor."

"No. I wasn't at all," Schumer replied. "There was no staring down at all -- none."

Before the Thune Amendment was introduced to the floor for a vote, I said I would be surprised of it was voted on, Astonished if it passed the Senate, and absolutely flabbergasted if it made it out of conference committee with the House, and became law.