Senate backers of expanded gun background checks scramble for votes

By David Lawder and John Whitesides

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A bipartisan proposal to expand background checks for gun buyers appeared on Tuesday to be short of the 60 votes needed to clear the Senate, as supporters scrambled to save the centerpiece of President Barack Obama's effort to reduce gun violence.

But Senate leaders scheduled a Wednesday vote for the expanded background checks plan forged by Democrat Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Republican Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, along with eight other amendments ranging from banning assault weapons to expanding permission to carry concealed firearms.

The proposals need 60 votes to overcome procedural hurdles erected by Republican opponents in the 100-seat Senate, where Democrats control 55 seats.

With several Democrats from conservative, gun-friendly states possibly voting against the measure, supporters have been hunting for more Republican support, which has proven elusive.

"It's going to be close," a senior Senate Democratic aide said of the vote scheduled for around 4 p.m. (2000 GMT).

Republican Senator Charles Grassley of Iowa, who opposes the proposal, told reporters that its supporters "don't have the votes to pass it."

He intends to offer a substitute amendment on Wednesday and argued that the Manchin-Toomey plan would not have stopped the December massacre of 20 school children and six adults in Newtown, Connecticut, or other mass shootings.

Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid rejected the idea that the background checks amendment had lost momentum since it was announced last week and was headed to defeat.

"Am I saying it's all over with, done, we've got the votes? No. But we certainly feel we have the wind at our back," Reid told reporters.

The Manchin-Toomey amendment to extend criminal background checks to online and gun-show sales has been seen as Obama's best hope for meaningful gun-control legislation in response to the Newtown shootings.

Opinion polls show more than 80 percent of Americans favor expanded background checks, but the amendment is opposed by the National Rifle Association gun lobby and most Republicans in the Democrat-led Senate. Even if it clears the Senate, it would face a rough ride in the Republican-led House of Representatives.

The NRA has warned lawmakers it will include their vote in the ratings it compiles on them and sends to its 4 million members. Mayors Against Illegal Guns, a gun-control group backed by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, has also said it will rate members of Congress based on their votes.

Former U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords, severely wounded in a 2011 mass shooting in Arizona, urged Senate Democrats to pass the measure during an appearance at their weekly luncheon.

Reid said Manchin also made a "moving, tearful" presentation at the luncheon.

"We are optimistic that this can pass," Giffords' husband, Mark Kelly, told reporters after the meeting. "It's going to take a little work. That's why Gabby and I are here."

RURAL STATE COMPROMISE?

Administration officials, including Vice President Joe Biden, have helped Manchin and Toomey lobby senators.

Relatives of Newtown victims also visited Washington last week and held emotional meetings with lawmakers in which they urged them to support expanded background checks and other measures.

Among Republicans, only Toomey, Susan Collins of Maine and Mark Kirk of Illinois have committed to support the Senate proposal. John McCain of Arizona, the 2008 Republican presidential nominee, said on Sunday he was "favorably disposed" to it.

Several Democratic senators from states where hunting and guns are popular - including Mark Pryor of Arkansas, Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, Mark Begich of Alaska and Mary Landrieu of Louisiana - remain uncommitted.

Democrats have explored changes to the background checks deal to allow exemptions in rural areas that do not have federally licensed gun dealers. The compromise would be aimed at winning senators from rural states such as Heitkamp and Begich.

"It's something we're looking at," Democratic Senator Charles Schumer of New York told reporters. "I never let the perfect be the enemy of the good."

But Republican opponents were increasingly confident they would win any showdown vote on the background checks.

"I don't think Toomey-Manchin is going to fly. I don't know where (they are) going to get the votes," Republican Senator Mike Johanns of Nebraska told reporters, adding that the entire gun bill was in "serious trouble."

'NEW OBLIGATIONS' ON GUN OWNERS?

Whatever is eventually agreed to appears likely to fall far short of what Obama sought immediately after the Newtown shootings. The bill also includes tighter restrictions on gun trafficking and more funding for school security.

Amendments to add restrictions such as a ban on the sale of rapid-firing "assault" weapons like the one used in Newtown and limits on the capacity of ammunition magazines appear to have little chance for approval.

Opponents of the Manchin-Toomey plan and some other elements of the legislation say the proposals are an example of government overreach that would infringe on the constitutional right to bear arms.

"Manchin-Toomey would impose new obligations on law-abiding gun owners," Grassley said.

Manchin and Toomey, both conservatives and strong proponents of gun rights, have argued that their proposal would simply make it more difficult for criminals and the mentally ill to buy guns.

Their amendment includes sweeteners for gun-rights supporters, including a provision that would make licensed interstate sales easier and ban the creation of a gun registry, one of the frequent fears cited by groups such as the NRA.

(Editing by David Lindsey, David Brunnstrom and Paul Simao)

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Senator urges colleagues to stand firm on gun background checks for gun buyers

By John Whitesides and David Lawder

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrat Joe Manchin and Republican Pat Toomey defended their plan to expand background checks for gun buyers on Monday, as Manchin opened the Senate's debate on the proposal by urging colleagues to "make a difference" and resist political pressure to reject the measure.

Manchin's call for bipartisanship on one of the nation's most divisive issues came as the background checks plan that he and Toomey devised was headed to a close vote in the Senate later this week.

After an intense, emotional week of lobbying that included family members of victims from the Newtown, Connecticut massacre visiting Capitol Hill to call for action, both sides of the gun-control debate scrambled for votes on a crucial piece of President Barack Obama's gun-control legislation.

Manchin, who is from West Virginia and has long been a strong supporter of gun rights, sought to assure others that the background checks plan would not limit law-abiding citizens' access to guns. He also urged senators to look beyond politics in voting on the plan.

"'No' is the safest vote as a congress person or senator, I understand that. I can vote 'no' on about everything and be fine," Manchin said of the plan, which has drawn opposition from the National Rifle Association and other gun-rights proponents, but is supported by two other gun owners' groups.

"I want to make a difference. I want to do something," Manchin said, saying that members of Congress should not be so worried about "all of the outside pressure, and maybe getting elected, maybe getting campaign funds."

The proposal to expand criminal background checks to include sales made online and at gun shows represents Obama's best hope for meaningful gun-control legislation in the aftermath of the killings of 20 children and six adults at an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut, on December 14.

The deal between Manchin and Toomey, designed to keep guns out of the hands of criminals and the mentally ill, would be the centerpiece of gun-control legislation that also would tighten laws on gun trafficking and increase funding for school security.

Like Manchin, Toomey has been a staunch defender of Americans' constitutional right to bear arms. The Pennsylvania senator said he did not consider the background checks provision to be gun control, while acknowledging that there was no way to prevent all criminals or mentally unstable people from securing firearms.

"But can't we take a very modest step to make it more difficult if we can do it in a way that does not infringe on the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens?" Toomey asked.

THE NUMBERS GAME

The Manchin-Toomey amendment needs 60 votes to overcome procedural hurdles erected by Republican opponents in the Senate, where Democrats control 55 seats.

Some Democrats up for re-election in conservative states next year also are expected to oppose the measure. Democrats Mark Pryor of Arkansas and Mark Begich of Alaska, both facing tough re-election battles, voted with conservative Republicans last week in an unsuccessful effort to block debate on the measure.

That means the Manchin-Toomey plan will probably need the backing of at least a half-dozen Republicans to clear the chamber. The Senate voted 68-31 last week to take up the broader legislation, with 16 Republicans joining 50 Democrats and two independents in supporting a debate on the bill.

But seven of those Republicans have said they will not support the background checks plan. Aside from Toomey, the only Republicans who support the deal so far are Mark Kirk of Illinois and Susan Collins of Maine. John McCain of Arizona said on Sunday he was "favorably disposed" to vote for it.

'TOUGH TO SAY'

"It's tough to say right now if we've got enough votes" to pass the Manchin-Toomey amendment, a Senate Democratic aide said.

More controversial aspects of Obama's gun-control plan - including a ban on rapid-firing "assault" weapons like the one used in Connecticut and limits on the capacity of ammunition magazines - appear to have a slim chance in the Senate.

Even if the background checks bill clears the Senate, it would face tough opposition in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives.

Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and other administration officials have pushed for the bill in a series of public events; Obama brought the Newtown family members to Washington aboard Air Force One after he visited Connecticut.

The Newtown families had several emotional visits with lawmakers. During their meeting with Manchin, the senator was moved to tears.

The NRA gun lobby group opposes the measure and has warned members of Congress it will include their votes on the Manchin-Toomey amendment in the ratings it compiles on each lawmaker and sends to members.

Manchin and Toomey have been contacting their colleagues in a hunt for support. Former U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords, who was badly wounded in a 2011 mass shooting in Arizona, will visit Washington this week to push for gun-control legislation.

The International Association of Chiefs of Police endorsed the background checks deal on Monday.

"Background checks work. Keeping firearms out of the hands of prohibited purchasers is a key factor in reducing gun violence in our communities and protecting our officers," said Craig Steckler, president of the police chiefs' group.

The background checks provision picked up an unexpected boost over the weekend with the backing of the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, which bills itself as the second-largest gun-rights group behind the NRA with 650,000 members and supporters.

The group cited some of the sweeteners in the deal for gun-rights supporters, including a provision that would make licensed interstate sales easier and ban the creation of a gun registry, one of the frequent fears cited by groups such as the NRA.

Those provisions, along with the possibility that some Republican amendments to strengthen gun rights could clear the Senate, add to the unpredictability of the outcome of the Senate debate.

"It isn't perfect, but it's certainly a long, big, heavy step forward. Expanding background checks to cover gun shows and Internet sales is common sense," Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid said.

(Editing by David Lindsey and Cynthia Osterman)

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Background checks deal boosts odds for gun-control bill

By John Whitesides and Patricia Zengerle

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Two key senators announced a breakthrough deal on Wednesday to expand background checks for gun buyers, boosting prospects that the Senate will approve at least some of President Barack Obama's proposed gun restrictions.

The agreement by Democrat Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Republican Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania sets the stage for a Senate debate on a gun-control package starting on Thursday, when the Democrat-led chamber is expected to defeat conservative Republican efforts to block the bill from even reaching a vote.

The proposal for expanded background checks appears to be Obama's best hope for meaningful gun-control legislation in the aftermath of the December massacre of 20 children and six adults at an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut.

Manchin and Toomey, both ardent defenders of gun rights, said their measure would expand criminal background checks for prospective gun buyers to include sales made at gun shows and online, closing a major loophole in a system that analysts say allows as many as 40 percent of gun buyers to avoid checks.

But the agreement, designed to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous criminals and the mentally ill, left significant exemptions for "temporary transfers" of weapons or private sales among friends and family members. No background checks would be required in such transactions.

More controversial parts of Obama's plan - such as a ban on rapid-firing "assault" weapons like the one used in Connecticut and limits on the capacity of ammunition magazines - appear to have a slim chance of clearing the Senate.

The bipartisan deal on background checks does not guarantee that it will clear the Senate, where Obama's Democrats control 55 of the 100 seats but many Democrats, like Manchin, are strong supporters of gun rights.

Toomey acknowledged as much during the news conference he and Manchin held on Wednesday, saying that if amendments are added to the bill that he believes infringe on gun owners' rights, he would not support the bill even if it still included the background checks compromise.

If the legislation does clear the Senate, it would still face a tough road to approval in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives.

"Today is just the start of a healthy debate that must end with the Senate and House hopefully passing these common sense measures and the president signing them into law," Manchin told reporters.

He said Democratic leaders have promised the background checks agreement will be the first amendment offered to the Senate's gun-control bill.

The deal also created a commission that would study the causes of mass violence in the United States, examining images of violence in media and video games as well as issues such as school safety, guns and mental health.

Six members would be appointed by the Senate majority leader, currently Nevada Democrat Harry Reid, and six by the House speaker, currently Republican John Boehner.

Obama, who has been pushing hard for Congress to produce the first major gun-control legislation in nearly two decades, had called negotiators from both parties on Tuesday, the White House said. Manchin said the senators also had been in touch with key stakeholders such as the powerful National Rifle Association gun lobby.

INTENSE LOBBYING

The president's plan has been the focus of intense lobbying by gun-rights supporters such as the NRA, and by gun-control advocates such as Mayors Against Illegal Guns, a group backed by Michael Bloomberg, the media magnate and New York City mayor.

The NRA called the agreement's rejection of the broader "universal" background checks pushed by Obama "a positive development," but also said a "meaningful and serious" solution to gun violence was needed that addresses crime and mental health issues.

The deal also won cautious support from some gun-control advocates, including Bloomberg and the group formed by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, who was severely wounded in a 2011 mass shooting in Arizona.

"Our bipartisan coalition of more than 900 mayors strongly supports this bill," Bloomberg said in a statement.

Obama, who has described the day of the December 14 Newtown shooting as the worst of his presidency, has used a campaign-style approach to his gun-control efforts.

Several family members of victims from the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown flew to Washington on Air Force One on Monday to urge lawmakers to take action, and First Lady Michelle Obama was scheduled to give a speech on guns on Wednesday.

Manchin's participation in the deal on background checks could bolster the prospects for the legislation. The freshman senator from West Virginia represents a state where gun ownership has long been passionately protected and where attempts to regulate guns have been strongly opposed.

Toomey, a conservative Republican from Pennsylvania, said he did not believe expanding background checks amounted to gun control. "It's common sense," he said. "What matters to me is doing the right thing, and this is the right thing."

Senators Mark Kirk of Illinois, a Republican, and Chuck Schumer of New York, a Democrat, also participated in the negotiations.

On Thursday, the Senate is scheduled to hold its first vote on whether to take up a gun-control bill. More than a dozen conservative Republican senators have threatened a filibuster aimed at preventing consideration of any gun restrictions.

But with public opinion polls showing up to 90 percent of Americans favor expanded background checks, other Republicans have said Obama's proposals should get a Senate vote.

The measure likely to pass the Senate could also include funding for school security and tighter restrictions on gun trafficking.

That package would fall short of what Obama had pressed for, but would be far more extensive than the NRA would like.

(Additional reporting by Richard Cowan and Sam Youngman; Editing by David Lindsey and Claudia Parsons)

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Reid: Gun bill to include background checks

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., will move forward with Senate Democrats' gun control legislation, a move designed to set the Senate up to start working on the controversial legislation when they return from recess on April 8.

The bill will include a proposal for universal background checks, a controversial measure that faces an uphill climb in the Senate.

Democratic leadership aides say Reid is still leaving the door open to replace the language on background checks, as passed this month out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, with a compromise package, should one emerge over the next few weeks.

"I hope negotiations will continue over the upcoming break to reach a bipartisan compromise on background checks, and I am hopeful that they will succeed," Reid said in a statement Thursday. "If a compromise is reached, I am open to including it in the base bill. But I want to be clear: in order to be effective, any bill that passes the Senate must include background checks."

Also included in the bill will be straw purchasing and trafficking provisions, aides say.

The base bill will not include the controversial ban on assault weapons, as decided this week by Senate Majoirty Leader Harry Reid.

But the assault weapons ban will get its vote, Reid promises - as President Obama did, as an amendment to the bill. "Once debate begins, I will ensure that a ban on assault weapons, limits to high-capacity magazines, and mental health provisions receive votes, along with other amendments. In his State of the Union address, President Obama called for all of these provisions to receive votes, and I will ensure that they do," Reid said in a statement.

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Colorado lawmakers pass universal gun purchase background checks

DENVER (Reuters) - Colorado lawmakers passed a bill on Friday to mandate universal background checks for all gun buyers in a state that has experienced two of the deadliest mass shootings in U.S. history, a spokesman for Colorado House Democrats said.

The passage of the bill capped months of debate on gun control in Colorado, and came after legislators approved four other gun control measures on Wednesday. The state's governor, a Democrat, has already said he supports more stringent background checks.

(Reporting by Keith Coffman; Writing by Cynthia Johnston; Editing by Greg McCune)

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