Democrats Rush to Seize Momentum After Trump Gun-Control Push
- Schumer adds assault-weapons ban to list of Democratic demands
- Republican leaders struggle for path forward in risky debate
Raising Age to Buy AR-15 a 'No-Brainer,' Says Sen. Manchin
Senate Democrats, seeking to take advantage of President Donald Trump’s surprising embrace of new gun controls, proposed reinstating an assault-weapons ban as part of their agenda Thursday while GOP leaders struggled to contain a debate that risks a battle with the gun-rights lobby.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Democrats want to restore the assault-weapons ban -- which expired in 2004 and is strongly opposed by the National Rifle Association -- as a key facet of their response to last month’s massacre at a Florida high school. They also want improved background checks on gun purchasers and a new ability to get a court order to temporarily disarm people who pose a credible risk of harming others.