Last updated on April 19th, 2013 at 06:58 pm
Four red state Democrats caved to the NRA on expanded background checks, as Sandy Hook parents watched from the Senate gallery.
The final vote was 54-46 in favor of the bill, with Majority Leader Harry Reid switching his vote to no for procedural reasons. Reid is actually a yes, so the number of supporters for the bill was 55. Four Republicans joined the majority of Democrats in opposing the NRA. Republican Senators Collins, Kirk, McCain, and Toomey all voted for the bill.
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The reason why the vote wasn’t even close was that Sens. Pryor, Baucus, Begich, and Heitkamp caved to the NRA and voted no. Before we discuss the cowards that put their own political futures ahead of dead children, let’s take a second to give a special mention to red state Democrat Mary Landrieu who did the right thing and voted yes. Sen. Landrieu is facing a tough reelection campaign next year in Louisiana, but she stood up and put her country first.
When Democrat senators who are seeking reelection approach with their hands out in 2014, Sen. Landrieu might be worth giving your support to.
It doesn’t matter that 90% of the public supports the bill. It doesn’t matter that a majority of the U.S. Senate supported the bill. It didn’t even matter to these four red state Democrats that Sandy Hook parents were in the Senate gallery watching the vote. Baucus, Begich, and Pryor are all up for reelection next year, so Sandy Hook parents be damned, they were siding with the NRA.
What these four Democrats did was a shameful act that deserves scorn. With four additional Democratic votes the bill still would have been one vote short, but without them, it had no chance of passing. Background check supporters may have been able to find one more yes vote, but there was no way that they could’ve found five.
The American people don’t matter, dead children don’t matter, all that mattered to three Democrats who are up for reelection was winning next November.
Sens. Pryor, Baucus, Begich, and Heitkamp showed what really matters to them, but men and women who lack the courage to do what is right when their country needs them most do not deserve your support.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
