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U.S. NEWS A5
Tuesday 6 October 2015
Clinton pitches new gun controls following Oregon shooting
LISA LERER A supporter of Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton wears a shirt reading over the Internet.
Associated Press “Bill for First Lady” before a speech by Clinton during a campaign event at Broward College, Efforts to require such com-
MANCHESTER, New Hamp- Friday, Oct. 2, 2015, in Davie, Fla. prehensive background
shire (AP) — Presidential checks have failed sever-
candidate Hillary Rodham (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky) al times in recent years in
Clinton offered an emo- Congress,
tional plea Monday for lation through Congress unique” about her plans — ecutive action as president where Republican lead-
tougher gun control laws in that would have tightened aside from her determina- to expand background ers have shown no willing-
the wake of a deadly uni- background checks for tion to take action. check requirements. Under ness to even hold votes on
versity shooting, decrying firearms purchasers. Her campaign rolled out a current federal law, such efforts to curb access to
the “extremism” that she Clinton said there was robust set of proposals Mon- checks are not required for guns.
said has come to charac- little “new” and “nothing day, including using ex- sales made at gun shows or Clinton also proposed re-
terize the debate over U.S. pealing legislation that
gun laws. shields gun manufacturers,
Clinton, the front-runner for distributors and dealers of
the 2016 Democratic presi- firearms from most liability
dential nomination, vowed suits, including in cases of
to tighten regulations on mass shootings.
firearms buyers and sellers While Clinton’s Republican
with a combination of con- rivals have condemned
gressional and executive the Oregon attack, most
action. were also quick to declare
Jumping into one of the their opposition to stricter
most divisive issues in U.S. gun laws to address mass
politics, Clinton has made shootings.
strengthening gun laws a Her plan strikes a contrast
centerpiece of her presi- with her closest primary ri-
dential campaign follow- val, Sen. Bernie Sanders.
ing a series of mass shoot- While Sanders has wooed
ings in the past few months. the Democratic base with
The latest shooting left nine his liberal positions on is-
people dead at a universi- sues of income inequality,
ty in the northwestern state he’s struggled to defend
of Oregon on Thursday. a more mixed record on
During an appearance gun legislation that reflects
at a campaign town hall, his rural, gun-friendly home
Clinton veered between state of Vermont.q
sadness and anger, ac-
cusing her Republican op- House leader sets vote for successor for Oct. 29
ponents of “surrender” to a
difficult political problem. ERICA WERNER to vote Thursday by secret majority leader on down. from Republican Rep. Ja-
“This epidemic of gun vio- AP Congressional Corre- ballot for a new leader- The speaker is the only job son Chaffetz, chairman of
lence knows no boundar- spondent ship team. But a number in the House that’s voted the House Oversight and
ies, knows no limits of any WASHINGTON (AP) — The of members wanted more on by members of both Government Reform Com-
kind,” she told the crowd leader of the U.S. House of time to weigh their options parties in open session; the mittee. McCarthy is the
of several hundred. Representatives on Mon- and pursue rule changes. other jobs are selected in- heavy favorite to prevail in
“How many people have day scheduled an House The speaker is second in ternally by the party cau- the secret-ballot election
to die before we actu- election to replace him for line to the presidency af- cuses. “This new process Thursday, but the outcome
ally act, before we come Oct. 29 and delayed votes ter the vice president and will ensure House Repub- on the floor is less certain
together as a nation? It’s for lower-level posts until af- determines the legislative licans have a strong, uni- because of potential op-
time for us to say we’re ter that — a move widely agenda. Under the new fied team to lead our con- position from the same
better than this.” seen as benefiting his pre- plan, Thursday’s vote will ference and focus on the 30-plus hard-line conserva-
Clinton was joined by the ferred successor, Majority only be on the Republi- American people’s priori- tives who pushed Boehner
mother of a 6-year-old vic- Leader Kevin McCarthy. can’s nominee for speaker. ties,” Speaker John Boeh- out. The new process could
tim of a 2012 school shoot- House Republicans, reeling It will be followed by a floor ner said in a statement. But allow McCarthy to lock up
ing in Newtown, Connecti- and divided in the after- vote in the full House on the change may also help the nomination for speak-
cut. After that shooting, math of Boehner’s resigna- Oct. 29. It will then be up McCarthy, who is working er and give conservatives
which killed 20 children tion from one of Washing- to the new speaker to set to lock up support to be- more time to potentially ral-
and six educators, Presi- ton’s most powerful jobs an elections date for lower- come speaker but facing ly around one of their own
dent Barack Obama tried last month, had planned level Republican posts from an unexpected challenge for one of the lesser jobs.q
and failed to push legis-
