After a shooting at a California bar last week that claimed a dozen lives, Democrats have decided to shift (briefly) away from prioritizing several investigations into the Trump administration and President Donald Trump, and focus instead on passing strict gun control measures, including universal background checks, a national ban on “high capacity magazines,” a ban on “assault-style” weapons, and a provision that would allow law enforcement to temporarily confiscate weapons from individuals deemed a threat to themselves or others.
Rep. Mike Thompson (D-CA) told The Wall Street Journal last week that he intends to immediately push for the universal background check legislation which would require gun retailers and gun sellers to register all gun purchases through the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). The effort would close what Democrats call the “gun show loophole,” which they believe allows individuals to purchase guns in private transactions — at gun shows and elsewhere — without registering their firearms with any state or federal body.
It’s not clear how many more gun sales that system would record, given that most gun shows feature federally licensed retailers who are already required to do background checks through NICS and disclose sales to the federal government. Gun owners and gun rights groups also fear that a universal background check system could lead to a national gun registry. – READ MORE