Congressional leader advocates ‘people control,’ not gun control

CEDAR RAPIDS - U.S. House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer is predicting that legislation to limit gun purchases will be approved by the House if GOP leaders follow through on a commitment to let it come to a vote.

'It ought to be a no-brainer,” Hoyer said in Cedar Rapids Thursday. However, the Maryland Democrat who was campaigning for 1st District Democrat Monica Vernon, said it will be a tough vote for many Republican lawmakers.

Speaker Paul Ryan announced plans for the House to vote next week on gun legislation. Hoyer said GOP leaders know it will be approved, but a lot of Republicans will vote against it despite '90 percent of their constituents want to see it pass.”

'That will be a tough political vote for them, but we ought to not worry about that,” he said, adding, 'If we lose, we lose, but at least we ought to have a vote.”

Hoyer tried to reframe the issue, saying what Democrats are calling for 'is not about gun control. This is about people control.”

'What we're talking about is people, people who are either too dangerous, too mentally unbalanced, who have a record of criminal offenses,” he said.

It's like telling people convicted of multiple driving while intoxicated they can't continue to drive, he said.

'That doesn't mean they won't get behind the wheel again,” Hoyer said. 'Some people say they will get guns anyway, but does that mean we take no efforts to make out communities safer? Of course not.”

Until it comes to the floor, Hoyer promised the House minority will do things every day to call attention to 33,000 gun deaths each year.

Democrats want to vote on legislation, including a 'no-fly, no buy” bill to prevent gun sales to anyone on the government's 'No Fly List” for terrorism suspects or the 'Selectee List” of people subject to extra screening at airports.

One of those proposals bill would protect Sixth Amendment rights by allowing would-be gun buyers to appeal if their purchases was blocked and requiring a court decision within 14 days.