Political anger over gun bill's defeat
President Obama after the Senate failed to pass the background check bill. Credit: President Obama after the Senate failed to pass the background check bill. (Getty Images)
President Barack Obama and Mayor Michael Bloomberg slammed the Senate Wednesday for failing to pass the gun background-check bill, saying it demonstrated the deep influence that special interests have in Washington.
“The only silver lining is that we now know who refuses to stand with the 90% of Americans, and in 2014, our ever-expanding coalition of supporters will work to make sure that voters don’t forget,” Bloomberg said in a statement.
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President Barack Obama and Mayor Michael Bloomberg slammed the Senate Wednesday for failing to pass the gun background-check bill, saying it demonstrated the deep influence that special interests have in Washington.
“The only silver lining is that we now know who refuses to stand with the 90% of Americans, and in 2014, our ever-expanding coalition of supporters will work to make sure that voters don’t forget,” Bloomberg said in a statement.
Obama, surrounded by families affected by the Newtown, Conn., shootings, former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and others at the White House, said there was no excuse for anyone to vote against the bill.
“All in all, this was a pretty shameful day for Washington,” an angry Obama said of the vote, adding the effort “is not over.”
Obama’s plan to extend background checks to online and gun-show sales came six votes short of the threshold to advance it as an amendment to gun control legislation.
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