Today, the House achieved final passage of a bill that strives to essentially ban firearms sales between private persons within the United States. What made this bill notable was two things. First, the bill prohibited federal firearms license holders from notifying law enforcement when an illegal alien attempted to buy a firearm (see Democrats Demand Citizens Submit To Background Checks, But Prevent Same For Illegals). Second, the Democrats, despite being in the majority, got their asses spanked by the GOP.

Republicans scored a rare victory in the Democrat-controlled House Wednesday, winning a vote to have authorities notify deportation officers any time an illegal immigrant tries to buy a gun. It’s illegal for those in the country without legal status to have firearms, but an average of more than 10 a day try anyway. Republicans offered an amendment to a broader gun background check bill to have the National Instant Criminal Background Check System report them to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which could then decide if it wants to pick them up for deportation. The amendment was approved on a 220-209 vote, with 26 Democrats joining the GOP in support. Only one Republican voted against it. Rep. Doug Collins, Georgia Republican, said it was a chance for Democrats to prove they really did want to get tough on stopping guns from going to those who are supposed to be banned buyers. “If you vote ‘No,’ you are allowing someone who should not have a firearm to get away with it and not be prosecuted for it,” he said.

Of the 26 Democrats who voted for that Republican "motion to recommit" (ICE amendment) gun bill, 22 represent districts Trump won in 2016; 18 of the 26 were first elected in November 2018. pic.twitter.com/w5bV9zo0bp — Greg Giroux (@greggiroux) February 27, 2019

Nancy Pelosi was not amused. This kind of stunt gives the impression that she’s not got a tight rein on her caucus, maybe because she’s senile or nuts or both, and it sets a bad example.

House Democrats held an emotional debate behind closed doors Thursday over how to stop losing embarrassing procedural battles with Republicans — a clash that exposed the divide between moderates and progressives. Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) took a hard line at the caucus meeting, saying that being a member of Congress sometimes requires taking tough votes. “This is not a day at the beach. This is the Congress of the United States,” Pelosi said, according to two sources.

Democrat darling and general lackwit, Alexandria Ocasio Cortez (btw if you can superimpose Mr. Ed’s mouth/teeth over hers and colorize appropriately, I have a good use for such an item) played the roll of teacher’s pet and promised that her “activist” network would immediately report Democrats who broke rank. But is seems that not everyone agrees with Pelosi on this scourge of independent thought:

Democratic leaders have vowed to do a better job preparing for the Republican motions, but the controversy has divided Pelosi and her longtime lieutenants, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) and Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.). Pelosi argues that Democrats must stick together on procedural votes, which is the traditional view of party leaders on both sides of the aisle. Hoyer and Clyburn, however, have suggested that moderate members can vote with Republicans if they think it will improve their political standing.

…

A senior Democratic aide aligned with the caucus’ moderate wing said it was completely hypocritical for progressives to complain about the tough vote they had to take Wednesday. “Moderates are in tough positions all the time and they don’t shy away from that,” the aide said. “They have to vote their districts or they will be defeated, plain and simple. The rest of the caucus should [understand] that.”

The Democrats won the House, in great part, because there were an inordinate number of GOP retirements and the Democrat base was whipped to a frenzy in an off-year election. Holding onto those seats in 2020 is going to be problematic. The leftwing lunacy that Pelosi is forcing her caucus to vote on is not helping their survivability. If Pelosi can’t bring her members under control now, it will be harder the closer they get to election. If she does succeed in corralling them, she will be marching a lot of them off a cliff.

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