Lawmakers urge expanded background checks

WASHINGTON -- Three Connecticut lawmakers observed "Domestic Violence Awareness Month" on Wednesday by urging Congress to expand background checks on would-be gun buyers in the wake of domestic shootings in South Carolina and Texas that have left 11 dead.

U.S. Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy, along with 5th District Rep. Elizabeth Esty, emphasized domestic violence as a reason to require background checks on more gun buyers to make it more difficult for violent offenders to obtain firearms.

"If we don't address gun violence, we're not doing everything we can, and must do, to combat domestic violence and to save women's lives," Esty told a conference.

"We will not allow this Congress to do nothing while women, children and innocents around this country lose their lives. We will keep up our efforts for common sense reforms, for an up or down vote in the House of Representatives no matter how long it takes."

Murphy told the conference organized by the group Mayors Against Illegal Guns that states with universal background checks report that 38 percent fewer women die from incidences of domestic violence.

"Thirty-eight percent," Murphy repeated. "This isn't six percent or eight percent. This is 40 percent less spouses, less domestic partners, (who) are dying because of gun violence simply because states made a simple decision to say, `If you're a criminal, if you have a history of domestic abuse, you should not get a gun.' "

Murphy claimed that when shown that statistic, 90 percent of Americans said they supported a system to prevent "abusers" from having access to guns.

"There are very few issues out there in which 90 percent of the American public wants something and the Congress won't even allow it for a vote," Murphy said. "That is absolutely exceptional, even in a democracy that is defined by dysfunction more often than not."

Blumenthal cited gun violence statistics.

"Guns increase the likelihood of homicide in domestic violence by 500 percent," he said. "It's not just a marginal difference."

The Connecticut lawmakers expressed frustration about their difficulty in getting Congress to enact tougher gun rules.

"I don't think there should be any controversy about dangerous people -- men who are about to do harm, or threaten to do harm, to women -- (being) barred from having a gun," Blumenthal said.

The battle over expanded background checks for would-be gun buyers has been the centerpiece of the gun control controversy in Congress.

The law now requires background checks when the sale is through a federally registered firearms dealer. The would-be gun buyer fills out a federal questionnaire that inquires about criminal convictions, drug addictions, mental condition, dishonorable discharges from the military or record of domestic violence. Any of those conditions would bar the sale.

Blumenthal and Murphy succeeded in getting 55 of the 100 senators to vote in April in favor of expanding background checks to other gun purchases. However, the legislation failed to achieve the required super-majority of 60 votes. Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., has promised to bring the bill up again.

Similar legislation has been introduced in the House by Reps. Peter King, R-N.Y., and Mike Thompson, D-Calif., and endorsed by 186 House members, including Esty.

However, House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, has said he would allow the King-Thompson bill to come to the floor only if the Senate acts first to approve legislation expanding background checks.

Esty, whose district includes Newtown -- site of the Dec. 14 murders of 20 school children and six educators -- said victims of domestic violence are among those who account for the "sadly growing cost of Congress' failure to take action on common sense reforms to prevent gun violence, particularly enhanced background checks, which we know work."

steve.kuhlmann@chron.com