On Thursday, February 28th, immediately following the passage of HR 8, HR 1112 made its way through the Democrat-controlled House as well. 228 votes to 198, HR 1112 will now go to the Senate floor.

HR 1112 extends the allotted time for the FBI to complete federal background checks. Prior to the law, it was three days, but it could now take up to ten days to purchase a firearm.

Republicans attempted to add a last-minute provision to the bill. This would exempt previous victims of domestic abuse from the increase in allocated time for the background check. An argument in support of such a provision would be that acquiring a firearm in a timely manner can mean life or death for some, namely a victim of domestic abuse. However, the provision did not make it onto the bill.

Democrat Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi slammed House Republicans for the last-minute motion. She labeled such measures an “ambush”. The immigration provision to HR 8 was labeled an ambush by Pelosi as well.

House Judiciary ranking Republican Doug Collins of Georgia expressed great dissident to HR 1112, citing a similar argument to the one above. He also stated that it “places an unnecessary burden on buyers that could prevent law-abiding citizens from obtaining a firearm”.

Three Republican Representatives backed HR 1112. Among Republican support for HR 1112 was co-sponsor Peter King of New York. King was a co-sponsor for HR 8 as well. HR 8 had eight Republican votes in favor.

It is unlikely that either HR 1112 or HR 8 will pass the Senate, let alone be signed by President Trump. However, anything is possible.

71 Republic is the Third Voice in media. We pride ourselves on distinctively independent journalism and editorials. Every dollar you give helps us grow our mission of providing reliable coverage. Please consider donating to our Patreon, which you can find here. Thank you very much for your support!

Featured Image Source