Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer bowed to political reality on Wednesday, admitting that Democrats do not have the votes for a wide-reaching gun-control push in the wake of a mass school shooting in Texas.
Mr. Schumer said that although Democrats are eager to pass comprehensive gun control, no legislation would come to the floor immediately that could not garner the 60 votes necessary to overcome a GOP filibuster.
“There are some who want this body to quickly vote on sensible gun safety legislation, legislation supported by the vast majority of Americans,” said Mr. Schumer, New York Democrat. “I’m sympathetic to that … But we also have a big problem here in the United States Senate.”
The majority leader said that with the Senate split 50-50, any gun control effort was doomed to fail unless at least 10 Republicans were to cross over.
“Too many senators on the other side of the aisle are disconnected from the suffering of the American people,” said Mr. Schumer. “Too many members on that side care more about the [National Rifle Association] than they do about families who grieve victims of gun violence.”
Despite the rhetoric, Mr. Schumer said he would give lawmakers time to discuss whether a bipartisan compromise on the topic is possible.
SEE ALSO: Democrats criticize gun lobby following deadly Texas school shooting
“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,” he said. “Maybe, [but] unlikely, their hearts might see what has happened and join us, do the right thing.”
The push comes as Congress struggles to respond to a wave of mass shootings that have rocked the country in recent weeks.
Tuesday, in particular, saw an 18-year-old gunman open fire at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. At least 19 children and two teachers were killed before the gunman was shot and killed by a U.S. Border Patrol agent who rushed to the scene.
The shooting came less than two weeks after an 18-year-old gunman killed 10 and injured three others at a grocery store in Buffalo, New York.
In the wake of the incidents, congressional Democrats and President Biden have renewed calls for stringent gun-control measures. Some have even argued that if such legislation cannot avert a filibuster, then the 60-vote threshold should be eliminated.
“We must abolish the filibuster and pass gun-safety legislation now,” said Sen. Bernard Sanders, an independent and self-described socialist from Vermont. “No one in America needs an AR-15. How many more children, mothers and fathers need to be murdered in cold blood before the Senate has the guts to ban assault weapons and take on the NRA?”
SEE ALSO: All shooting victims were in one classroom in Texas elementary school: police
The same problem vexing the passage of gun control, however, faces advocates of jettisoning the filibuster. To succeed, all 50 Democrats would have to unite behind abolition, something that has proved impossible for abortion and voting legislation.
“Without [the filibuster] we have nothing,” said Sen Joe Manchin III, West Virginia Democrat, who has repeatedly blocked his party’s ambitions on the topic. “You have no checks and balance.”
With the filibuster likely remaining in place, lawmakers say the only hope for addressing mass shootings is through bipartisan compromise. Some Democrats and Republicans are especially hopeful that a “red flag” bill could secure enough support to pass.
The legislation would allow law enforcement to remove firearms from individuals determined by a court to be a danger to themselves and others.
• Haris Alic can be reached at halic@washingtontimes.com.
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