WASHINGTON (AP) – The deadly mass shooting in Las Vegas left Republican-backed bills to loosen gun rules facing an uncertain future.
Before the shooting that killed at least 58 people – the deadliest shooting in modern U.S. history – House GOP leaders had been moving forward with bills to ease regulations on gun silencers and allow those with concealed-carry permits to take their weapons to other states.
Republicans have been upbeat about prospects for legislation as they control both the House and Senate and have an ally in the White House in President Donald Trump. But no votes on either bill were scheduled as of Monday.
Democrats seized on the violence in Nevada to demand tougher gun restrictions, an unlikely scenario as other mass shootings in Colorado, Connecticut, Florida and even attacks on lawmakers failed to unite Congress on any legislative response.
Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., a gun control proponent, said it was “time for Congress to get off its ass and do something.” In an outdoor news conference, former Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, grievously wounded in a 2011 attack, turned to the Capitol, raised her fist and said, “the nation is counting on you.”