A fierce debate and ultimate demise in the House.
The Senate begins debating new gun control legislation Wednesday, after months of work in Washington in response to the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School.
The Senate will begin with a bipartisan amendment sponsored by West Virginia Democrat Sen. Joe Manchin and Pennsylvania Republican Sen. Pat Toomey. When it was first announced last week, their proposal to expand background checks for gun buyers was seen as the best bet to get substantial gun control passed. Now, it appears the amendment is on track to be defeated.
Via: J. Scott Applewhite, File / AP
In 1999, the U.S. Senate began a similar process in response to another mass shooting.
In the weeks following the Columbine High School massacre in 1999, the Senate worked to address the issues of school safety and guns. The result was a juvenile crime bill championed by Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch that passed the Senate, but only after a contentious debate on closing the so-called "gun show loophole," and background checks.
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Orrin Hatch, who opposes background checks today, proposed an amendment to his bill to close the "gun show loophole."
Hatch did so only after Democrats' attempts to do so were defeated by Republicans. An unexpected public outcry caused the Republicans to make an about-face and introduce a background check bill of their own.
Democrats argued that his amendment actually created a new "gun show loophole."
They said someone with a special license to sell in volume only at gun shows wouldn't be required to conduct background checks. The Clinton White House agreed with the assessment.
