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CNN Live Today
Senate Set to Vote on Bill to Limit Gun Lawsuits
Aired February 25, 2004 - 11:29 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: The Senate is getting ready to vote on legislation that would limit lawsuits against gunmakers and shop owners.
Our congressional correspondent Joe Johns is covering that debate on Capitol Hill this morning.
Good morning -- Joe.
JOE JOHNS, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn.
This is basically the opening salvo on a proposal designed to stop a rush of lawsuits targeted at gun manufacturers and dealers. Backers of this bill won the first round on a procedural vote in the United States Senate. It does have the support of the Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, as well as the Democratic Leader Tom Daschle, who has a healthy number of gun rights backers in his home state of South Dakota. The bill still is controversial, however, because it would essentially protect the gun industry from negligence lawsuits.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JACK REED (D), RHODE ISLAND: Here we are telling the gun industry don't join that effort to make people safer. You can ignore reasonable responsible actions. You can be negligent and you won't be brought to justice. I think that's wrong. I think that's bad floor (ph), bad public policy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. LARRY CRAIG (R), IDAHO: Many have found that you can file frivolous and junk lawsuits in the court and you can slowly but surely bleed down those who you file them against because they have to come and defend themselves. Even though the courts constantly throw these lawsuits out, hundreds of millions of dollars have already been spent by legitimate gun manufacturers that make those fine weapons for our men and women in Iraq, who make those fine weapons for our civil law enforcement officers.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JOHNS: Now opponents are expected to try to load up the bill with controversial amendments. The administration has already stated its position. It essentially has said it wants a clean bill sent down to the White House. The House has already acted on this and approved it -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Joe, speaking of amendments, it was just about this time yesterday we saw live right here on CNN President Bush come out and support a ban on gay marriage, an amendment added to the U.S. Constitution. He called on Congress to act on this immediately. Any word on Capitol Hill on any movement on that?
JOHNS: Well there are a lot of people on Capitol Hill who are very concerned about moving too quickly on this. They realize it's potentially divisive. They also have a number of people within the Republican Party, including some conservatives, who are concerned about amending the Constitution on a cultural issue. So there is a somewhat "go slow" approach here on Capitol Hill. Nonetheless, the leadership has expressed interest in trying to get a vote on the bill by the end of the year -- Daryn.
Joe Johns on Capitol Hill. Thank you for that, Joe.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired February 25, 2004 - 11:29 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: The Senate is getting ready to vote on legislation that would limit lawsuits against gunmakers and shop owners.
Our congressional correspondent Joe Johns is covering that debate on Capitol Hill this morning.
Good morning -- Joe.
JOE JOHNS, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn.
This is basically the opening salvo on a proposal designed to stop a rush of lawsuits targeted at gun manufacturers and dealers. Backers of this bill won the first round on a procedural vote in the United States Senate. It does have the support of the Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, as well as the Democratic Leader Tom Daschle, who has a healthy number of gun rights backers in his home state of South Dakota. The bill still is controversial, however, because it would essentially protect the gun industry from negligence lawsuits.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JACK REED (D), RHODE ISLAND: Here we are telling the gun industry don't join that effort to make people safer. You can ignore reasonable responsible actions. You can be negligent and you won't be brought to justice. I think that's wrong. I think that's bad floor (ph), bad public policy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. LARRY CRAIG (R), IDAHO: Many have found that you can file frivolous and junk lawsuits in the court and you can slowly but surely bleed down those who you file them against because they have to come and defend themselves. Even though the courts constantly throw these lawsuits out, hundreds of millions of dollars have already been spent by legitimate gun manufacturers that make those fine weapons for our men and women in Iraq, who make those fine weapons for our civil law enforcement officers.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JOHNS: Now opponents are expected to try to load up the bill with controversial amendments. The administration has already stated its position. It essentially has said it wants a clean bill sent down to the White House. The House has already acted on this and approved it -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Joe, speaking of amendments, it was just about this time yesterday we saw live right here on CNN President Bush come out and support a ban on gay marriage, an amendment added to the U.S. Constitution. He called on Congress to act on this immediately. Any word on Capitol Hill on any movement on that?
JOHNS: Well there are a lot of people on Capitol Hill who are very concerned about moving too quickly on this. They realize it's potentially divisive. They also have a number of people within the Republican Party, including some conservatives, who are concerned about amending the Constitution on a cultural issue. So there is a somewhat "go slow" approach here on Capitol Hill. Nonetheless, the leadership has expressed interest in trying to get a vote on the bill by the end of the year -- Daryn.
Joe Johns on Capitol Hill. Thank you for that, Joe.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
