WASHINGTON — Some proponents of gun control are citing the Washington Navy Yard shooting as another reason to condemn Congress for failing to strengthen firearms laws, but it’s unclear if what President Barack Obama called “yet another mass shooting” will reignite idle legislation.
The case for increased gun control has become increasingly difficult since Obama proposed stricter laws in January following the shooting of 20 first-graders and six staffers at a Newtown, Conn. Elementary School. The president was powerless to push through national legislation this year, and just last week two Colorado legislators who supported stronger state laws were recalled by voters.
It remains to be seen whether Monday’s 13 additional deaths, including the lone gunman at the Navy Yard, can change momentum in the debate, particularly with so many details uncertain. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a leading advocate for tougher gun control in the Senate, said the shooting “is one more event to add to the litany of massacres” and issued a call to action.
Source: Huffington Post
