Republicans block bill to outlaw bump stocks for rifles after Supreme Court lifts Trump-era ban

WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans blocked bipartisan legislation Tuesday that would have outlawed bump stocks after the Supreme Court struck down a ban on the rapid-fire gun accessory used in the deadliest shooting in modern U.S. history. “It won’t pass because enough people in this building still believe in the Constitution, and the Constitution affords Americans the right to own a firearm.” The 6-3 majority opinion written by Justice Clarence Thomas found the Justice Department was wrong to declare that bump stocks transformed semiautomatic rifles into illegal machine guns because, he wrote, each trigger depression in rapid succession still only releases one shot. North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis, a Republican who worked with Democrats on bipartisan gun legislation two years ago, said that if Schumer were serious about banning bump stocks, “he’d be calling people into a room who have worked on bipartisan bills,” but instead “it’s a political exercise, which is a shame.” South Dakota Sen. John Thune, the No. 2 Republican, criticized Schumer for a “summer of show votes” and for bringing up bills that are “clearly designed to fail.” Schumer countered on the floor that “it’s not enough for Republicans to roll their eyes and dismiss this bump stock vote as a ‘show vote.’ Tell that to the families who lost loved ones.” The messaging votes come as the Senate’s other business has come to a halt, with bipartisan negotiations on legislation such as rail safety, farm programs, taxes and prescription drugs stalled during a contentious election year.