Sen. Joe Manchin said Tuesday he hopes President Trump will use his gun control bill as a base for how to address the issue of gun violence.
“It’s not gun control. It’s simply gun sense,” Mr. Manchin, West Virginia Democrat, said on CNN.
The so-called Toomey-Manchin bill expands background checks to online and gun show sales, but it exempts sales between family and friends. The measure was first proposed in 2013 after the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School left 26 people dead. The recent shooting at Majory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, reignited the gun debate and gave new life to the proposal.
“It’s a good base bill. We’re hoping the president will take it and use it as his base bill and do something common sense,” Mr. Manchin said.
The measure failed to gain enough support in both 2013 and 2015.
He added that over 70 percent of gun owners support the bill and nearly 90 percent of the American people.
• Sally Persons can be reached at spersons@washingtontimes.com.
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