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Assault Weapons Ban Political Hot Potato

Aired May 15, 2003 - 14:30   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.


KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Congress is considering whether to vote on extending an assault weapons ban set to expire next year. Joining us now from Washington, Congressional Correspondent Kate Snow. She's got more for us -- Kate.
KATE SNOW, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, a lot of questions being raised about this issue that's really a political hot potato here on Capitol Hill. The president, through his spokesman, about a month ago said that he supports extending the ban on assault weapons, about 19 semi-automatic weapons are covered, includes Uzis and AK-47s. Two days ago, though, the House Republican leader, Tom DeLay, made headlines when he said the votes aren't here in the House to extend that ban. His spokesman then said Republican leaders have no intention of bringing it up in the House.

One Republican observers has DeLay has to get his neck out on gun issues, gun rights issues. Because he's from Texas, he often speaks very strongly on gun rights, but this observer says Speaker Dennis Hastert, who is from Illinois, where there are a lot of suburban mothers, for example, who favor gun control, he wants to be more careful, and he saw those headlines and thought, Well, maybe we shouldn't be quite so rash.

He today issued a statement to clarify where they are at. He said, We are -- the bill is just now being discussed. We haven't had discussions yet with the leadership, the bill hasn't been discussed by the leadership yet, I haven't had a discussion with the president yet, he said, so I'm not ready to make that decision about whether or not the Congress -- the House particularly -- is going to take up the assault weapons ban. House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi says she wishes they would. She says it's up to the president to force that vote to come up.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), MINORITY LEADER: As we discussed last week when the president announced his support for the assault ban, I praised his decision. I hope the president will use his good offices and his considerable political capital to have the assault weapon ban brought up on the House floor.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SNOW: But remember how touchy this is for all parties, for both Republicans and Democrats. Back in 1994 under Clinton and the Democratically controlled Congress, they barely squeaked this vote out and then a lot of Democrats lost their seats. The Republicans took over the House that year. So Democratic aides say that they're not in any rush to bring this up in Congress either. In fact, one aide said to me, if the president really wants this, let him force it to be brought up. He said, we're not -- Democrats are not going to take the bullet on this one.

And Kyra, the White House may not take the bullet either. John King has reported from the White House that senior aides there say the president won't be very public about going out and pushing for this vote to come up in Congress. He expects it may just die here in Congress -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Well, you know we will be following it. Kate Snow on the Hill. Thank you.

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 May 15, 2003 - 14:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Congress is considering whether to vote on extending an assault weapons ban set to expire next year. Joining us now from Washington, Congressional Correspondent Kate Snow. She's got more for us -- Kate.
KATE SNOW, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, a lot of questions being raised about this issue that's really a political hot potato here on Capitol Hill. The president, through his spokesman, about a month ago said that he supports extending the ban on assault weapons, about 19 semi-automatic weapons are covered, includes Uzis and AK-47s. Two days ago, though, the House Republican leader, Tom DeLay, made headlines when he said the votes aren't here in the House to extend that ban. His spokesman then said Republican leaders have no intention of bringing it up in the House.

One Republican observers has DeLay has to get his neck out on gun issues, gun rights issues. Because he's from Texas, he often speaks very strongly on gun rights, but this observer says Speaker Dennis Hastert, who is from Illinois, where there are a lot of suburban mothers, for example, who favor gun control, he wants to be more careful, and he saw those headlines and thought, Well, maybe we shouldn't be quite so rash.

He today issued a statement to clarify where they are at. He said, We are -- the bill is just now being discussed. We haven't had discussions yet with the leadership, the bill hasn't been discussed by the leadership yet, I haven't had a discussion with the president yet, he said, so I'm not ready to make that decision about whether or not the Congress -- the House particularly -- is going to take up the assault weapons ban. House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi says she wishes they would. She says it's up to the president to force that vote to come up.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), MINORITY LEADER: As we discussed last week when the president announced his support for the assault ban, I praised his decision. I hope the president will use his good offices and his considerable political capital to have the assault weapon ban brought up on the House floor.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SNOW: But remember how touchy this is for all parties, for both Republicans and Democrats. Back in 1994 under Clinton and the Democratically controlled Congress, they barely squeaked this vote out and then a lot of Democrats lost their seats. The Republicans took over the House that year. So Democratic aides say that they're not in any rush to bring this up in Congress either. In fact, one aide said to me, if the president really wants this, let him force it to be brought up. He said, we're not -- Democrats are not going to take the bullet on this one.

And Kyra, the White House may not take the bullet either. John King has reported from the White House that senior aides there say the president won't be very public about going out and pushing for this vote to come up in Congress. He expects it may just die here in Congress -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Well, you know we will be following it. Kate Snow on the Hill. Thank you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com