Congressional Republicans are waiting for the White House to chart a path forward on gun violence legislation, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday, effectively putting the burden on President Donald Trump to decide the GOP's legislative response to the spate of mass shootings that
1 / 2Congress Gun ControlFILE - In this July 12, 2016 file photo, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky. speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington. McConnell says he’s waiting for the White House to chart a path forward on gun violence legislation following another mass shooting in Texas.
McConnell's comments point to the challenge ahead as Congress returns to a gun debate that emerged during their summer recess, when mass shootings in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio, left 31 people dead. While Trump has said he wants to work with Congress to"stop the menace of mass attacks," he's waffled on support for expanding background checks, making the next steps uncertain.
Story continuesTrump in a tweet Tuesday urged Congress to"get back to work," but omitted any reference to guns, focusing instead on prescription drug prices, healthcare and infrastructure. Trump's comments were reminiscent of his wavering last year, when he vowed to support background checks in the wake of a school shooting in Parkland, Florida, only to relent after receiving pressure from the National Rifle Association.
NRA head Wayne LaPierre has repeatedly spoken to Trump and warned him about losing support from NRA members. But White House aides contend the president's base would stick with him regardless. They point to strong support for background checks among Republicans and gun owners and believe they can fashion a proposal that the gun lobby — while not supporting — may not vehemently oppose.
Even so, the Connecticut Democrat rates the chance of Congress actually approving anything at"less than 50-50," especially if Trump appears willing"to give the NRA veto power" over legislation such as a bipartisan bill to expand background checks being pushed Sens. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., and Joe Manchin, D-W.Va.
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