Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) pushed a unanimous consent vote on a bump stock ban for the purposes of using Republican opposition to paint the GOP as favoring mass shooters, according to sources on Capitol Hill.
A unanimous consent vote can be blocked with one Republican in opposition, and that one Republican vote is what Democrats would highlight to then claim Republicans as a whole are against stopping mass shootings, against keeping Americans safe, etc.
2A WIN💪@SenatorRicketts has BLOCKED the passage of a fake "bump stock ban" which also required semiautomatic gun registration under the unconstitutional National Firearms Act of 1934.
— Gun Owners of America (@GunOwners) June 18, 2024
It would also have encouraged a new ATF rule banning most semiautomatic firearms. https://t.co/am0wpgUzs9 pic.twitter.com/pSFcsFRuWY
Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) called out Schumer for pressing for votes on “fake problems” instead of taking up serious issues that the Senate may play a role in solving.
Vance said, “This is week three of Chuck Schumer focusing on fake problems instead of real problems. We have real legislation. I have a rail safety bill that he promised he would bring up to the floor for a vote. Let’s do the things that actually have a chance of passing and actually making the country a better place.”
The Blaze’s Christopher Redford used an X post to echo Vance’s sentiment, saying, “Ridiculous and cynical. Saying the Senate should use its limited time on legislation that can actually pass and help Americans isn’t dishonoring the dead anymore than Schumer wasting time on Dem messaging votes honors the dead.”
Bump stocks were used in one high-profile shooting in American history: The October 1, 2017, Las Vegas shooting.
In other words, a bump stock ban would not have hindered any of the other highly publicized public shootings since 2007:
- Nashville Christian school attack (March 27, 2023)
- Uvalde School attack (May 24, 2022)
- Buffalo grocery attack (May 14, 2022)
- Indianapolis FedEx attack (April 15, 2021)
- Atlanta-area attack (March 16, 2021)
- Parkland high school attack (February 14, 2018)
- Texas church attack (November 5, 2017)
- Alexandria attack (June 14, 2017)
- Orlando attack (June 12, 2016)
- UCLA attack (June 1, 2016)
- San Bernardino attack (December 2, 2015)
- Colorado Springs attack (October 31, 2015)
- Umpqua Community College attack (October 1, 2015)
- Alison Parker’s attack (August 26, 2015)
- Lafayette movie theater attack (July 23, 2015)
- Chattanooga attack (July 16, 2015)
- Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal attack (Jun 17, 2015)
- Muhammad Cartoon Contest attack (May 3, 2014)
- Las Vegas cop attack (June 9, 2015)
- Santa Barbara attack (May 23, 2014)
- Fort Hood attack (April 2, 2014)
- Arapahoe High School attack (December 13, 2013)
- D.C. Navy Yard attack (September 16, 2013)
- Aurora movie theater attack (July 20, 2012)
- Gabby Giffords’ attack (January 8, 2011)
- Fort Hood attack (November 5, 2009)
- Northern Illinois University attack (February 14, 2008)
- Virginia Tech attack (April 16, 2007)
Additionally, Breitbart News reported at least 46 people were shot during the past weekend in Chicago, seven of them fatally. At least 45 people were shot the weekend of June 7-9, in Chicago, and at least 41 were shot over Memorial Day weekend. There were no reports of bump stocks being used in any of the Chicago shootings, either.
AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio and a Turning Point USA Ambassador. AWR Hawkins holds a Ph.D. in Military History, with a focus on the Vietnam War (brown water navy), U.S. Navy since Inception, the Civil War, and Early Modern Europe. Follow him on Instagram: @awr_hawkins. You can sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange. Reach him directly at
