Page 6 - ARUBA TODAY

A6 U.S. NEWS
Wednesday 4 OctOber 2017
GOP leaders say no action on gun legislation

By MATTHEW DALY “cherish the right to be
Associated Press able to go hunting with
WASHINGTON (AP) — Re- their family ... sport shoot-
publican leaders made ing and all the things we
clear Tuesday that Con- do enjoy,” Manchin said,
gress will take no action on adding that any potential
gun legislation in the wake legislation must be based
of the massacre in Las Ve- in common sense.
gas. They refused to enter- “It’s just common sense to
tain Democratic demands say that if a person is such
to expand background a risk to get on an airplane
checks for gun purchases that they get (put) on the
and tighten restrictions on no-fly list, don’t you think
semi-automatic weapons, there should be some con-
but also shelved their own cern and prevention from
House bill that would have them being able to still buy
loosened access to gun si- a gun in America?” Man-
lencers. chin said, adding that any
“I think it’s premature to be movement on the issue will
discussing legislative solu- depend on Trump.
tions, if there are any,” Sen- “The president could really
ate Majority Leader Mitch take a lead on this. He re-
McConnell, R-Ky., told ally could,” Manchin said.
reporters after the mass Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., center, with Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, R- Trump has called the Sun-
shooting that killed at least Wis., left, and other GOP members as they talk at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Sept. 27, day night shooting at an
59 people and wounded 2017. Republican leaders made clear Tuesday that Congress will take no action on gun legislation outdoor music festival an
hundreds more. in the wake of the massacre in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) “act of pure evil” and de-
House Speaker Paul Ryan, clared the nation would
R-Wis., said there is no plan scheduled right now. I lenge to their fealty. Manchin, a Democrat up unite behind the survivors.
for the House to act soon don’t know when it will be Rep. Chris Collins, R-N.Y., for re-election next year in “We’ll be talking about
on the silencer bill, which scheduled,” Ryan said. said action on guns after a state carried overwhelm- gun laws as time goes by,”
a Republican-led House The congressional inaction Las Vegas was unneces- ingly by President Donald Trump said Tuesday. Asked
committee backed last underscored the power of sary, “We are not going Trump. about silencer bill, Trump
month. The bill’s sponsor, the National Rifle Associa- to knee-jerk react to every Manchin, who co-spon- said, “We’ll talk about that
Rep. Jeff Duncan of South tion and the political stakes situation.” sored the failed bill that later.”
Carolina, said it would help for lawmakers who main- Four years ago, after the would have expanded Democrats pressed for a
hunters protect their hear- tain their support for the deadly school shooting in background checks, said response.Rep. Judy Chu,
ing. constitutional right to bear Newtown, a bipartisan bill Tuesday, “I come from a D-Calif., said on Twitter: “It’s
The silencer bill is “not arms and fear any chal- on background checks gun state and I am a pro- not ‘political’ to urge ac-
failed in the Senate. tector of Second Amend- tion to stop the regular kill-
The complicated politics ment rights and I under- ing of Americans by guns.
of guns was personified stand these people’s fear.” It’s responsibility. Silence is
by West Virginia Sen. Joe West Virginia residents the political choice.”q
Sheriff:
Traffic stop turns up assault rifles, 900 rounds

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (AP) weapons aren’t registered of the 23 guns in the suite
— Federal agents are trying and lack serial numbers. He were equipped with de-
to determine why a man told The Johnson City Press vices that enable a rifle to
pulled over for speeding in that Edmisten had appar- fire continuously, like an
Tennessee was carrying a ently modified the AR rifles automatic.“It’s not con-
cache of weapons includ- to make them automatics. nected to any of the other
ing two submachine guns “Anytime you have sev- national incidents, but tim-
and 900 rounds of ammuni- eral firearms and several ing obviously was a con-
tion. hundred rounds of ammu- cern,” Knight said.Knight
Deputies found Scott Ed- nition in a vehicle, that al- said investigators are
misten, 43, of Johnson City, ways causes a concern,” tracing where Edmisten’s
carrying a .357-caliber said Michael Knight, an ATF weapons came from.“Our
Magnum, a loaded .45-cal- spokesman. priority is reducing violent
iber semi-automatic, a Authorities still haven’t de- crime on the front end,
.223-caliber fully automatic termined why Edmisten so that’s the other thing
assault rifle, a .308-caliber was carrying all that fire- we’re looking at, along
fully automatic assault rifle, power, but they “don’t see with motive: Were these
more than 900 rounds of a connection” to recent items going to be used
ammunition, and survival mass shootings, Knight said. for a criminal act or were
equipment, Washington The arrest came a day af- they just being transported
County Sheriff Ed Graybeal ter Stephen Paddock killed from one area to another
said. 59 people and wounded area?”Graybeal said Ed-
Graybeal asked the U.S. Bu- more than 500 in Las Ve- misten threatened his ar-
reau of Alcohol, Tobacco gas, firing down on a mu- resting officer and lunged
and Firearms to help inves- sic festival crowd from a toward investigators trying
tigate, since the automatic high-rise hotel suite. Some to question him. q