(Video Credit: The Associated Press)
Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) railed on the Senate floor Wednesday, demanding Republicans escape the embrace of the NRA while telling his fellow Democrats he would not put forth gun control measures after the Buffalo and Uvalde shootings because they wouldn’t get enough votes to pass.
Instead, he opted to wait for Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and other members of his caucus to negotiate a bipartisan compromise on a gun control measure that could muster 60 votes to avoid a filibuster. His base immediately turned on him for refusing to bring gun control bills to the floor. The blue-check crowd was incensed by it.
“There are some who want this body to quickly vote on sensible gun safety legislation, legislation supported by the vast majority of Americans,” Schumer proclaimed.”They want to see this body vote quickly so the American people can know which side each senator is on … I’m sympathetic to that, and I believe that accountability votes are important.”
He went on to blame Republicans stating that they would oppose gun control reforms, ranting about how they opposed proposals to expand background checks, ban assault-style weapons, and prohibit high-capacity magazines following the Sandy Hook massacre.
🎶Bravely, Brave Sen. Schumer turned his back and ran away…🎶https://t.co/icOU3kXWg6
— Adam Baldwin (@AdamBaldwin) May 25, 2022
Schumer: "I believe that accountability votes are important. But sadly, this isn't a case of the American people not knowing where their senators stand. They know. They know because my Republican colleagues are perfectly clear on this issue"
— Ali Zaslav (@alizaslav) May 25, 2022
Schumer says if they can't agree to a strong gun reform bill that has bipartisan support, which he reiterated is “unlikely" — Dems will “continue to pursue this issue on our own. We have no choice. It's too important. Lives are at stake.”
— Ali Zaslav (@alizaslav) May 25, 2022
“If the slaughter of schoolchildren can’t convince Republicans to buck the NRA, what can we do?” he asserted. “Sadly, this isn’t a case of the American people now knowing where their senators stand. They know. They know because my Republican colleagues are perfectly clear on this issue. Crystal clear.”
“Republicans don’t pretend that they support sensible gun safety legislation. They don’t pretend to be moved by the fact that 90 percent of Americans, regardless of party, support something as common sense as background checks, that the vast majority of gun owners support the background checks bill,” Schumer continued.
(Video: Forbes)
In effect, the Democratic leader opted to use the issue as a GOTV measure.
“Americans can cast their vote in November for senators or members of Congress that reflect how he or she stands with guns,” he stated. “In the meantime, my Republican colleagues can work with us now. I know this is a slim prospect, very slim, all too slim. We’ve been burnt so many times before. But this is so important.”
“I have such a firm belief, taught to me by my late father … that if you do the right thing and persist, justice will eventually prevail. But you got to keep persisting, and we will,” Schumer vowed.
“Democrats have been trying to work hard with Republicans, Sen. Murphy, Sen. Manchin, on legislation that will eventually pass and become law,” he predicted. “The other side has refused. There are so many options available to us. So many ideas. We just need some brave Republicans to stand before history and yell stop.”
He grandstanded by stating that Americans are sick of mass shootings in an effort to push his gun control agenda and at one point went out of his way trying to shame Republicans by asking them what if it were their child who died in a mass shooting.
Predictably, anger poured in from the left over Schumer’s refusal to go after gun control by equivocating on the issue while muttering over the midterms:
After hearing the whole country scream in unison DO SOMETHING, @SenSchumer, like the calculating coward that he is, proudly declares Democrats will DO NOTHING. Told ya! A completely useless party. This is time to put tremendous political pressure on GOP, instead they surrender! https://t.co/9vZiVrUqTa
— Cenk Uygur (@cenkuygur) May 25, 2022
UNACCEPTABLE, @SenSchumer and @SenateDems. Do something. https://t.co/RaFCpUARJ4
— Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) May 25, 2022
@chuckschumer really ,it’s time to stop being a wuss.
— ✌🏼rosanna arquette (@RoArquette) May 25, 2022
Schumer forced a vote on Democrats' unlimited abortion bill in response to the SCOTUS leak. But apparently he won't do that for a gun control bill after a massacre of elementary school kids. That is going to piss people off. https://t.co/69KSHden6D
— Varad Mehta (@varadmehta) May 25, 2022
Schumer should resign. He's an okay administrator of the Senate and an excellent public speaker, but he's not a leader. I know what leadership looks like and this isn't it. We need leaders right now, in this moment. https://t.co/LD1GvKzM3s
— Brandon Friedman (@BFriedmanDC) May 25, 2022
This is the same @SenSchumer who promised a vote on background checks in March of 2021.
Now after 19 children have died he is making some bizarre political calculation that it's just not worth to debate or vote on this issue.
Absolutely pathetic and disgusting. https://t.co/fPsW8NhY1P
— igorvolsky (@igorvolsky) May 25, 2022
Politics isn't just about passing bills, it's also about galvanizing public opinion to make your policies palatable to voters. Current generation of Dem. leadership is just shockingly bad at this. https://t.co/Jquqv5S2bf
— Christopher Ingraham (@_cingraham) May 25, 2022
"Can't stop children from being murdered because a Republican will send an email saying we shouldn't." https://t.co/21ctjp8zH1
— People for Bernie (@People4Bernie) May 25, 2022
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