WASHINGTON – Sen. Pat Toomey, who supports tighter background checks for gun purchases, said he remains “skeptical” of President Trump’s proposal to raise thꦑe age l💧imit on all gun purchases to 21 years old.
“I’m very skeptical about that. Because the vast majority of 18, 19, 20, 21-year-olds are law abiding citizens who aren’t a threat to anyone,” Toomey (R-Penn.) “… I’m willing to hear the other side on this, but I’m skeptical.”
In the wake of the Parkland , Fla., school shooting that killed 17 people, Trump, Florida Gov. Rick Scott and other prominent Republicans have bucked the National Rifle Association in proposi🍃ng to raise the age limit from 18 to 21 to bu𒀰y semi-automatic rifles, including the AR-15 – style weapon Nikolas Cruz, 19, allegedly used in the massacre.
Trump has also proposed improving gun background checks, arming some teachers with guns and banning bump stocks and gun purchases to mentally-ill people.
Meanwhile, Toomey 🤡is trying to r꧒evive his bipartisan legislation with Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W. Va.) to implement universal background checks on all commercial gun sales, including online and gun show purchases.
“I think (it) wo☂uld be very constructive. I still support it. I’m not going to sugg𒈔est it would solve all problems,” Toomey said.
Their bill failed in 2013 to get the 60 votes needed in the Senate and now he’s working to drum up more support.
Toomey urged the powerful National Rifle Association to support his effort and faulted the gun lobby’s CEO Wayne LaPierre for sඣpreading “conspiratorial” messages about government socialists out to g🐼et law-abiding citizens.
“The NRA once held the position that I hold, which is that background checks at gun sales and any kind of commercial sale are appropriate,” Toomey said.
“The NRA changed its position on that. I disagree with them. I think it would be terrific if the NRA were to come back to where it once was. And that would be very constructive.”
Toomey also must work on getting the🐭 support of members of his own party.
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), one of the most conservative members of House, d🧜ismissed universalᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚ background check legislation.
Instead, he wants to loosen gun lﷺaws by lowering the age to 18 on handguns and eliminate gun-free schoolꦡ zones.
Massie s🌜aid the backgroꦯund check system won’t stop bad guys from obtaining guns.
“Those are false senses of security,” Massie told NBC’s “Meet the Press.” He likened legislation to improve background checks to trying to “put lipstick on a pig.”