Kaine wants Senate vote on gun legislation

Sen. Tim Kaine is calling on the Senate to go ahead and vote on gun-control legislation, saying the NRA’s lobbying power shouldn’t drown out debate.

Kaine, in an op-ed that ran in the Virginian-Pilot today, said other senators have threatened to filibuster a gun control bill, which Kaine said “should outrage the strong majority of American citizens who believe in reasonable gun rules to protect public safety.”

He said that he will support legislation to expand background checks for gun purchases, saying that 40 percent of gun sales occur without the checks. Kaine also said he backs “reasonable limits on gun trafficking across state lines, super-size magazines and certain combat-style weapons.”

There is no piece of legislation that will eliminate violence. But if we take concrete steps, we can make our communities safer,” Kaine said. “I don’t want to have this opportunity and shrink from the responsibility. And I especially don’t want a tiny minority of senators and powerful lobbyists to block the legislative branch from even considering and voting on these proposals.”

Kaine criticized the National Rifle Association, which has lobbied heavily against gun restrictions, saying its track record in statewide races — including three of his own — is “lackluster” and that its power is “vastly overrated.” The NRA worked against him in Virginia races, Kaine said, and he still won. He said the organization is “out of touch” with its own members who support universal background checks.

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