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Tom Coburn: Actually, we’re not that close to a deal on background checks

“I don’t think we’re that close to a deal, and there absolutely will not be record-keeping on legitimate, law-abiding gun owners in this country,” the Oklahoma Republican said. “And if they want to eliminate the benefits of actually trying to prevent the sales to people who are mentally ill, and the criminals, all they have to do is create a record-keeping, and that will kill this bill.”…

“If you really want to improve it, you have to eliminate the record-keeping and give people the right and the responsibility to do the right thing and, that’s check on the [national] list to make sure you’re not selling a gun to somebody who is in one of those two categories,” Coburn said, in an appearance on Fox News Sunday.

A Senate aide familiar with the process said Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace erred in the question he posed to Coburn. The aides said there is no discussion of allowing the federal government to keep any records of background checks or sales, something that is already illegal and would not change. What is being proposed is having the seller retain a record of a private sale, just as a dealer does now for a sale that happens at a licensed gun store, the aide said.

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If leftists were serious about background checks for public safety, they’d agree to checks with no record-keeping. But no, they’ll hold out for record-keeping even if it means a background check bill won’t pass.

And that, in a nutshell, is proof positive of their true intent. They want background checks not for public safety, but because it’s a big step down the road to universal gun registration.

petefrt on February 25, 2013 at 9:18 AM

On Feb. 25 & 26, make ‘Five Phone Calls for Freedom’
http://www.grnc.org/grnc-alerts-archive/424-grnc-alert-2-21-13-fight-pending-attack-by-obama-radicals
Make ‘Five Phone Calls for Freedom’

We are asking millions of Second Amendment supporters, represented by the Coalition and others, to deliver a loud and clear message to Congress by making 5 phone calls on Monday and Tuesday (Feb. 25 & 26). Please note that we said CALL, not email. We want millions of voices to ring through the congressional switchboard, so please note that you might have to try several times to get through.

Specifically, we are asking you to call:

1. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell at 202-224-2541

2. House Speaker John Boehner at 202-225-0600

3. Senator Richard Burr at 202-224-3154

4. Senator Kay Hagan at 202-224-6342

5. Your representative to the U.S. House. To identify your US House representative, go to: http://www.house.gov/representatives/ and then enter your zip code in the upper right corner of the page.

DELIVER THIS MESSAGE
Give congressional staff 3 simple talking points:

1. Nothing about the federal proposals is acceptable – not banning semi-automatic firearms and magazines, not expanding the list of people prohibited from owning guns, and not registering private gun sales via the National Instant Check System;

2. Because “compromise” means losing freedom, you will not “compromise” on this issue, including any “lite” version of registering private sales through the National Instant Check System; and

3. As a member of one of the organizations comprising the National Coalition to Stop the Gun Ban, you will support coordinated Coalition action against any legislator who supports gun control.

Southern by choice22 on February 25, 2013 at 9:24 AM

The libs fought tooth and nail to prevent law enforcement from check documents of suspected illegal aliens. However, having a background check on law abiding citizens is needed. Coburn came to his senses a little late but even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in awhile.

trs on February 25, 2013 at 9:38 AM

I have no doubt that Republicans will work overtime to ram through obama’s gun-grab agenda, just like they are working to ram through his amnesty plan.

Pork-Chop on February 25, 2013 at 9:39 AM

Because before gang member A sells a pistol to gang member B, they are going to go to a FFL dealer to ensure that gang member B is clean and isn’t going to shoot anyone with the pistol.

rbj on February 25, 2013 at 10:02 AM

Bullshinola..

It’s going to be close in the Senate. Frankly, they can’t be counted on.

The House is our o ly bulwark against this, which is sad enough…

catmman on February 25, 2013 at 10:58 AM