WASHINGTON – Today,

Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) shot back against misleading claims by President Obama and top congressional Democrats that Republicans are blocking votes or debate on new gun control legislation.

“The Senate has been debating and voting on new gun legislation for weeks,” said Lee. “Congress, the president, the press, and the public have been debating the merits of stricter gun control from kitchen tables to cables news shows since the tragedy at Sandy Hook. Op-Ed pages, Facebook timelines and Twitter feeds are loaded with discussion about the Second Amendment and the proper response to the problem of gun violence in this country.

“More than a month ago, the Judiciary Committee heard hours of testimony and debate on several different gun control proposals.  And we voted on them.  

“Just recently, 50 senators, including six Democrats, voted to require a supermajority to pass any new gun legislation.  

“If the president believes there have been no votes or debate on gun control in recent weeks, I’d ask him to take note of what is going on in the country.

“Our effort to require a 60 vote threshold is an attempt to facilitate greater debate about the specific piece of legislation that will come to the Senate floor.  By objecting to the motion to proceed, we guarantee that the Senate and the American people have at least three additional days to assess and evaluate exactly how this particular bill will affect the rights of law-abiding citizens and whether it will have any significant impact on crime.  

“The president again is trying to rush legislation through Congress because he knows that as Americans begin to find out what is in the bill, they will oppose it.  Our job in Congress is to do everything in our power to ensure the public understands these bills and how they affect their rights as citizens.”

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