Today, the Senate Judiciary Committee heard testimony on the subject “What Should America Do About Gun Violence?” The goal was to figure out what steps the government should take to increase gun control (if any). The witness list so far has actually been fairly balanced, inviting both NRA Veep Wayne LaPierre and Mark Kelly (Gabby Giffords’ husband and gun control advocate), as well as some people who actually have skin in the game such as Baltimore’s chief of police. But an equal airing of views isn’t really what Dianne Feinstein and in mind, so she’s planning on holding a hearing of her own. Or, in the words of Eric Cartman, “screw you guys, I’m holding my own hearings” . . .
Via Politico:
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), unhappy with the witnesses slated to testify at Wednesday’s Judiciary Committee hearing on guns, will hold her own hearing on her proposed ban on assault weapons.
“I’m concerned and registered my concern with Sen. [Patrick] Leahy yesterday, that the witnesses are skewed to the anti-gun, anti-assault weapons position,” Feinstein told POLITICO. “He agreed that I would be able to do my own hearing on the assault weapons legislation which I will proceed to do.”
DiFi’s legislation is drowning. Her attempt to relive the crowning achievement of her political career, the implementation of the 1994 Assault Weapons Ban, is slipping further and further from her clutches. There’s little chance of it getting out of committee, let alone going to a Senate vote or being passed by Congress. So, out of options, she is trying to coordinate a “kangaroo court” of Senate hearings where the only opinions expressed will be those that she agrees with. An echo chamber of gun control propaganda.
It’s doubtful that anything will break the current deadlock against her bill. It has been described as “political suicide” by many Democrats, and rightly so. But there’s always the chance that some of the toxic sludge will seep out of DiFi’s special hearing and attach itself to one of the other dozen or so bills being considered that would restrict American’s gun ownership abilities.
In short, keep calling.