In the clip (not magazine) above, New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand reveals her “evolving stance” on gun control. No surprise there. When Ms. Gillibrand was a member of the House of Representatives, her Congressional district (the 20th) contained a large percentage of pro-gun voters. And that’s the way she voted.
In 2008, NY Governor David Paterson chose the Blue Dog Democrat Ms. Gillibrand to replace Hillary Clinton as a Senator. Ms. Gillibrand’s sudden evolution on gun rights reflected her desire to maintain membership in America’s most exclusive club. Which she has.
Senator Gillibrand is now a member of the minority party in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives. The Senate is also Republican-controlled. The President, who promised national reciprocity and an end to “gun free zones,” is a Republican. As we reported back in the day, the Republican Party platform says the following:
We support firearm reciprocity legislation to recognize the right of law-abiding Americans to carry firearms to protect themselves and their families in all 50 states. We support constitutional carry statutes and salute the states that have passed them. We oppose ill-conceived laws that would restrict magazine capacity or ban the sale of the most popular and common modern rifle. We also oppose any effort to deprive individuals of their right to keep and bear arms without due process of law.
Will Republicans in the legislative and executive branches spend their precious political capital rolling back federal gun control? Will they work together to accomplish that heaviest of heavy lifts: national concealed carry reciprocity?
Or will they give simply throw The People of the Gun a Bone (e.g., The Hearing Protection Act and more gun-friendly ATF regs), and focus their time and attention on border security, the economy and national defense?
When it comes to gun rights, do you trust Republican politicians in general, or any in specific, at all?