First on CNN: King, Thompson to intro background checks in House
(CNN) - Republican Rep. Peter King of New York said he doesn't want to be "reinventing" the wheel on the gun bill in the Senate and plans to make a similar background check proposal in the House with Rep. Mike Thompson, D-California.
"My goal would be to get the strongest background check bill we can," King said.
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His office has been in touch with GOP Sen. Pat Toomey's office. The senator from Pennsylvania teamed up with Sen. Joe Manchin, D-West Virginia, in last-minute talks to reach a bipartisan deal that could get enough support in the Senate to pass.
The deal will expand the background check system for gun purchases to gun shows and internet sales.
A Democratic leadership source said the compromise will likely be the first amendment to gun legislation being considered.
But with Republicans in control in the House, any bill passed by the Senate is expected to face an uphill battle in the lower chamber.
House Speaker John Boehner repeated his line Wednesday that the House will "review" whatever the Senate passes and emphasized a need to better enforce the current system in place.
"We are not enforcing the laws that we have on the books today," he said at a press conference on Capitol Hill. "So if we are going to have a background check that is in the law let's make sure we do a real background check which in not all cases actually happens."
King admitted he was an "outlier" within House GOP on gun issue and said he has not talked to Boehner or other leaders yet about the bill. His counterpart, Thompson, chairs the House Democratic gun task force.
The New York congressman said Tuesday he supports universal background checks–which goes beyond the Toomey-Manchin deal–and opposed efforts by Republican senators who've vowed to block debate on the Senate bill.
"This is an issue which has grabbed hold of the American people. It is an issue, I think, an issue that has to be resolved. And even if it doesn't go down the way I want it to, I think the American people are entitled to a debate," King said on CNN's "Starting Point."
- CNN's Dana Bash contributed to this report.
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CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — A prosecutor says a suspect in the fatal shooting of a West Virginia sheriff was legally prohibited from possessing one.
Mingo County Prosecutor Michael Sparks declined to say Wednesday where 37-year-old Tennis Melvin Maynard bought the gun. But Sparks says "it appears that the system didn't work."
Sparks also declined to elaborate on why Maynard was barred from owning a gun. But Maynard's father has said his son had mental problems and had previously been in an institution.
Sheriff Eugene Crum was fatally shot April 3 as he ate lunch in a downtown Williamson parking lot.
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Food for thought: the system will work if there are the funds and the will.
You guys in the House better get on the ball. You would be real stupid to go against the will of 90% of us.
Taking bets on how soon we get a post calling King, one of the most outspoken consevatives out there, a RINO. Giving 10-1 odds that it happens within the 1st 3 pages.
Am I the only one who wishes someone would say something that is actually news? It seems like every story is another cliche. "Reinventing the wheel", "perfect storm", "run it up the flagpole", "fair and balanced", and on and on. It's almost as bad as sports interviews, where every coach or player says the same thing in almost the same words. "We have a lot of desire", "they're a great team", "they gave it their best shot", "on any given day, anyone can win", "blah blah blah blah blah". For Christ's sake, somebody say something original!
If you are a Republican from a gerry_mandered Congressional district you can continue to be a COWARD on the serious topic of gun violence. Peter King feels a bit of heat because he is in an urban environment. Attack gerry mandering to restore democracy to America.
Peter king you sound tough on gun an back ground check, we the people want to see what can you do with your money and your brain. Tough guy
"Food for thought: the system will work if there are the funds and the will."
Right, "the will," which means places like WV and other backwards red states that think they can enact legislation that nullifies federal gun regulations will have plenty of incidents just like you described: hayseed gun store owners who doesn't like background checks "on principle" so they just go through the motions and avoid them as much as possible.