Michigan U.S. Senator Gary Peters says now’s the time “to act on guns”.
Peters and his fellow Democrats get their long-sought votes on gun control after the massacre in Orlando, Florida, but election-year politics ensure no changes in the nation's laws.
Democrats are expected to vote tonight to block two Republican amendments, saying they don't do enough. Republicans are expected to block two Democratic amendments, saying they threaten the rights of gun owners.
The votes are the result of a deal after Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) filibustered for almost 15 hours Wednesday and Thursday in response to the shooting that killed 49 people and wounded 53.
Murphy yielded the floor Thursday just after 2 a.m., saying Republican leaders had promised votes on amendments to expand background checks and ban gun sales to suspected terrorists. The two Republican amendments are alternatives to the Democratic proposals.
“Thoughts and prayers are wonderful,” Peters said today during a news conference in Flint, “but we need to move beyond thoughts and prayers. We need to have action.”
Peters says voters should hold lawmakers accountable who fail to take action on gun control.
