(CNN) - In a major defeat for supporters of tougher gun laws, the Senate on Wednesday defeated a compromise proposal to expand background checks on firearms sales.
The bipartisan compromise was championed by Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va. and Pat Toomey, R-Pa., and backed by President Barack Obama in his push for a package of gun laws in the aftermath of the Newtown school massacre.
"On this vote, the yays are 54, the nays are 46. Under the previous order requiring 60 votes for the adoption of this amendment, the amendment is not agreed to," said Vice President Joe Biden, who presided over the vote in his role as president of the Senate.
Get ready for a gop train wreck in 2014 midterms except for a select few that aren't stooges for the nra lobbyist trash !!!!
VICTORY for every law abiding citizen of this country!!!! More useless unenforced laws do NOTHING to address the problem of all the crazy people we have loose in this country.
Democratic Congress, 2014! Democratic Victory 2016!
Every senator who voted against the background check will be defeated in their re-election bids. Nothing but a bunch of cowards who care more about the NRA than the wil of the people. Shame on every single one of you.
we will remember, GOP, we'll remember in Nov. 2014.
Bomb explodes. Blame the bomber. School shooting. Blame the gun. Typical libtard logic. It's good to know some of our Senators still have a brain.
Perhaps there will now be some focus on legislation that can keep weapons out of the hands of the mentally ill rather than efforts to pass decades-old partisan legislation which will affect the law abiding more than criminals or mentally ill.
Chipster you moron the Democrats CONTROL THE SENATE ALREADY!!! THEY have the majority.
Get over yourself.
democrats can kiss control of the senate good bye in 2014. 9 democrat senators in red states are history. do you think the people in those states are going to trust the democrats again with their gun rights? no way. thanks democrats. we couldn't have done it without you.
What a bunch of cowards!!! NRA has these punks so far bent over their desk they can see straight. NRA threatens senators and get away with it. How would like to be a son or daughter of these scrubs that have no sense from right or wrong. 2014 cant come soon enough.
Thank you obstructionist GOP! You are toast in 2014. And every one of these clowns who voted against this ought to be made to publicly explain their vote to the families of Newtown victims, as well as other gun tragedies. Sickening.
-Donna
VICTORY for every law abiding citizen of this country!!!! More useless unenforced laws do NOTHING to address the problem of all the crazy people we have loose in this country.
**************************
And every gang member, white supremicist and foreign terror cell in the country is cheering alongside you. Nice to see you help to make the GOP party such a big tent: you include death-dealers and gun huggers, yet you won't raise a dime for mental health problems when asked. Empty cheering from an empty suit.
Just shameful, absolutely shameful.
Remember when you only needed a majority of 51? Back before everything need to be filibuster-proof?
easier to blame the gop than deal with facts, isn't it
Guess it doesn't matter what the vast majority of Americans want – the GOP is bought and paid for. All excuses being equal this just shows the power of the gun manufacturers/NRA. How sad for this country.
this is great, but now who is going to take obama out of office? who is going to take diane frankenstine out of office? get rid of big sis civilian army!
This political system is a joke. They call this a Democracy?
So the terrorist enabling NRA wins again, and the American people lose.
SHAME!!!! If we have background checks for gun dealers someone needs to tell me how expanding them is putting the 2nd Amendment at risk. This is ASURD!!!!
Well that took all of two minutes. I can't say I'm surprised at all. Get ready for an all-out American showdown between the Dems and Repubs in 2014 – it's coming.
The Dems just won the Senate for 2014 and Presidency for 2016 because of this vote. Unreal.
Thank God we're not going back to those tyrannical days of 1994-2004 when we had that onerous assault Weapon Ban. No one could hunt, we couldn't defend ourselves & we were fearful that Govt. thugs would kick in our doors & CONFISCATE our guns. Yes, we're safe from our Tyrannical Govt. now !!
The "Victory" is for gun lobbyists- The vast majority of this Nation wanted this to pass....When last I checked, this is STILL a Democracy. This is a sham and the folks who are responsible will face their own realities when they come up for re-election.
I said no thank vote for democration for 2016