WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — On Thursday, the House of Representatives passed two pieces of legislation, mostly along party lines, to expand background checks on all commercial gun sales.
Congressman Tom Reed (R-N.Y.) voted against them.
“It goes after law-abiding gun owners. It goes after family exchanges in a way that is too burdensome,” Reed said.
One bill requires background checks for all gun sales. The other would close the “Charleston loophole,” which allows some licensed gun sales before a background check is finished.
Reed says there are better options for reform.
“But this bill is not going to move the ball on that issue,” Reed said.
Reed expects these bills to fail in the Senate, but Democrats are confident they can swing some votes their way.
“The principle should be no check, no sale. No check, no gun,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) said.
Blumenthal and Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) say the bills are necessary to protect Americans and children across the country.
“We should tighten our gun laws to make sure that criminals and people with histories of serious mental illness cannot buy guns,” Murphy said.
The last time gun control legislation made it this far, Senate Republicans blocked further action.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) says that won’t happen anymore.
“No more, hopes and prayers,- thoughts and prayers. A vote is what we need. A vote,” Schumer said.
Senate Democrats say they expect to see more bipartisan support when it hits the Senate floor.