Pat Toomey Whines That Democrats Are Ruining The Senate By Trying To Prevent Mass Shootings

Last updated on March 30th, 2021 at 02:50 am

Sen. Pat Toomey (R-PA) complained that Democrats are ruining the Senate by potentially gutting the filibuster to stop mass shootings.

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Toomey said on NBC’s Meet The Press:

Some of our Democratic colleagues are simply making a shameful attempt to really ruin what remains of the functioning of the Senate, and it’ll do long-term damage to the country. You know, two years ago, the Democrats pretty much universally supported keeping the filibuster. Barack Obama was in favor of the filibuster. Now, when the different party is in control, suddenly it’s become a racist tool? How ridiculous. The fact is the bill that passed the House — that doesn’t even have 50 votes in the Senate. Joe Manchin is on record opposing that. So, there are not even 50 votes. You could get rid of the filibuster tomorrow, and you still couldn’t pass that bill.

So, what we need to do is try to find a place where we can land, a place where there’s some common ground. I have long believed, as I’ve told you many times, the place where we ought to be able to get that done is requiring background checks on commercial sales. That’s where I know Senator Manchin is. And there are Republican senators who are interested, not because it’s some bank shot to prevent the Democrats from abusing their power with respect to the filibuster, but because there is some substantive support.

Sen. Toomey should tell the families of the ten innocent people, including a police officer who died in Colorado, that preserving the Senate is more important than saving American lives.

The problem with Toomey’s whining is that his way has already failed. Toomey and Sen. Manchin failed to pass a bipartisan bill to expand background checks. There is no “place to land” legislatively in the Senate where ten Republicans will support expanding background checks.

Democrats have been trying to get better gun laws that would help to keep weapons out of the hands of mass shooters for decades, and it is always the same game. Republicans pretend they want to do something and vote against the legislation.

Senate Democrats believe that human life is worth more than the filibuster, which is why they are willing to make changes to do something about the plague of mass shootings that is killing the American people.

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Jason Easley

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