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Senate Judiciary Committee passes assault weapon ban

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    Chris Stirewalt weighs in

  • Duration 5:14
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President Obama's bid to renew a ban against assault weapons has won the backing of a key senate committee.

Is all weapons ban was one -- -- gun related measures that made it through the Senate Judiciary Committee this week it past 108.

I strictly party line vote but not before -- heated arguments between Texas senator Ted crews and California senator Dianne Feinstein.

Over the constitutional rights.

Of gun owners.

And the Second Amendment in the bill of rights provides that the right of the people keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.

And and the question that I would pose.

To the senior senator from California is what she deem it consistent with the bill of rights.

For congress to engage in the same endeavor that we are contemplating doing with the Second Amendment.

In the context of the first or Fourth Amendment.

I'm not a sixth -- Senator I've been on this committee for twenty years I study the constitution myself I reasonably well educated.

And I thank you for the lecture in.

After that exchange cruise the freshman senator took some unexpected heat from critics who thought that he misunderstood the relevant Supreme Court case -- on the Second Amendment itself.

I -- -- -- -- C -- he told me assault weapons are.

In the terminology in common use and therefore under the supreme court's opinions interpreting the Second Amendment they cannot be ban.

And and let's be clear not most people misunderstand the word assault weapon it's not a machine it's not fully automatic -- Is essentially -- dear life.

A semiautomatic weapon with with cosmetic features that make it -- -- And yet you see politicians in Washington they want to show how tough they are crimes that they want to ban.

Some four million -- that law abiding Americans have chosen to use.

To protect their -- -- what's the future of these gun measures as they wind their way through Capitol Hill.

Talk about it with Chris -- while Fox News digital politics editor and host a power play 11:30 AM every weekday on foxnews.com slash.

Mr.

power play happy -- -- better today.

-- according to.

I can think of no better place -- -- Patrick's day -- with -- -- last name -- so this is perfect right gonna do little Jake and commercial break yes you have to pay that extra content that's that's only up.

-- clam up so let's talk about these gun laws I mean now we're seeing actual votes some things admitted to the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Well what she -- they have an actual senate senate.

You know it's and staying at it in a way it's related to what you were talking to senator -- about.

Now how big of a budget deal the president wants and does he really want enough borrowing -- is as we've talked about before the the government's gonna need to borrow one point 381 point five trillion dollars to get from the beginning of October of this year to Election Day.

Which is about as far as anybody can think in order to do that they need a pretty big deal it's gonna take a long time to get a deal that -- And fortunately for the president.

If he talks about gun control during that time he's going to alienate people possibly including senator -- who represents a state with a lot of gun enthusiasts a lot of people are being on the Second Amendment.

He's gonna alienate other red state Democrats.

And it will be harder to get a budget deal through so he's got to wait.

While he waits people like Dianne Feinstein how much do you think Dianne Feinstein would like help Ted Cruz the news -- the one that said senator.

Good news we just -- an assault weapons ban so the more.

Fighting that goes on between cruise and other Republicans and Liberal Democrats on this issue the hungrier they get for this legislation in the more impatient they become with the president -- when you gonna get out in front of this thing again and help us try to get it done.

-- because that could be felt like of course a lot of them momentum afternoon town which -- horrified every wine and and felt like it was the best opportunity and now they they feel like they're lose that momentum in the midst of all these other battles they have.

So what about folks like senator -- -- senator baggage senator Reid himself has a B rating from and -- right he's been a longtime gun rights advocate.

And he's in the middle listening to get something to the floor you gotta go through here every.

And this is what liberals want now is not winning -- reads them because Harry Reid is not.

He is not a profiles in courage leadership kind of guy he's a will love his.

Cause he's -- well -- his caucus kind of guy.

He's he stepped out front very few times generally what he does is reflected the general consensus.

But his caucus he's going to move and take a chance it's gotta be because the president is pushing -- pushing and pushing him and we heard from senator Feinstein last week.

The president they believe that nothing's gonna happen unless he gets out front and leads on this and remember this is one of the three g.s from liberals on the second Obama term.

And this is gay marriage.

This is global warming.

And guns and they these are the three biggest issues for the -- and if the president looks like he's dragging its feet on this they're going to get cranky and then to take respect to senator -- point.

There -- to be less inclined to do something that they've already shown very little inclination to do which is to address long term drivers of the debt and deficit particularly Medicare.

Can't tell you that dust up senator Crist comedies actually surprised that senator client fights and that's still upset well led Atlanta with its chipset but she was -- that -- reacted the way that she did -- is clearly unhappy.

And he said you know I think we should ask the same question everything -- pass on the hill that the constitution allow this and he said frankly I'm surprised that anyone -- get that part up.

Let's watch this -- could be interesting -- here would have thought that were written by thank you very much stress on and a brilliant yes -- Right.