A week before his hearings on gun violence, Senator Patrick Leahy, Democrat of Vermont and chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, introduced a modest measure Wednesday that may presage the sorts of legislative avenues that could find support among both Republicans and Democrats.
The bill, known as the Stop Illegal Trafficking in Firearms Act, would give law enforcement officials more tools to investigate so-called straw purchasing of guns, in which someone buys a firearm for someone else who is prohibited from obtaining one on his own. The bill would also create tough penalties for those who make purchases with the intent to transfer a gun in that manner, particularly in cases involving crimes of violence or drug trafficking.
Mr. Leahy announced his bill a day before Senator Dianne Feinstein of California, who will be joined by various other House and Senate Democrats on Thursday, introduces her own measure, which would ban military-style assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.
The two bills underscore the tension among Senate Democrats over how to proceed with President Obama’s call for legislative measures to combat gun violence. Some Democrats - and many Republicans - would like to limit such actions to an expansion of background checks on gun buyers and other checks on selling, while others, like Ms. Feinstein, would like to see more expansive measures that limit certain types of weapons and ammunition. All gun legislation will face serious opposition in the Senate and the House.
“When the president spoke last week about the need for legislative action in the wake of the horrific events at Sandy Hook Elementary School last month,†Mr. Leahy said in a prepared statement, “strengthening our law enforcement efforts against illegal gun trafficking was one of the key issues he noted. This bill will answer that call to action.â€
The White House has made gun legislation a priority. Also Thursday afternoon, Vice President! Joseph R. Biden Jr. will hold an online “fireside hangout†via Google, according to a news release posted Wednesday on the Google blog.
The Judiciary Committee will hold its first hearing of the 113th Congress on gun violence next Wednesday; a witness list will be made public later in the week. Among those invited are Wayne LaPierre, who is head of the National Rifle Association.
Mr. Leahy expects a broad array of issues to be discussed, including how to keep guns out of the hands of criminals and the mentally ill. “I believe that we can enact common-sense protections consistent with the Second Amendment,†he said.
