Democratic gun task force hopes hearing will aid debate

Jackie Kucinich, USA TODAY | USATODAY

WASHINGTON — The chairman of a House Democratic task force on gun violence said he hopes the group's hearing Wednesday with sportsmen and gun rights supporters will help develop recommendations to improve gun safety while preserving Second Amendment rights.

Rep. Mike Thompson, D-Calif., the chairman of the Congressional Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, said Tuesday he expects the hearing to yield useful information on how to keep guns in the hands of responsible, legal owners and away from people who should not be able to obtain them.

Thompson's panel is a Democratic Party group in the House trying to develop legislation that could pass the Republican-controlled chamber. It is not an official House committee.

In addition to representatives from hunting and sportsmen groups, the task force will hear testimony from a former special agent for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, as well as representatives from the health and law enforcement communities.

The committee is likely to meet with the National Rifle Association's top lobbyist, Chris Cox, this week. The NRA did not immediately return a request for comment.

Thompson, a gun owner and hunter, said he has not only spoken to members of Congress of both parties about the issue but has also heard from his constituents during town hall meetings in his home district in northern California.

Regardless of their stance on gun rights, Thompson said, most people "want to make our society safer from gun violence."

An "adult conversation" on the topic would dispel the idea that Congress wants to take away all guns from Americans, he said. Such a claim was never true, he said, and was made even more unrealistic by a 2008 Supreme Court ruling.

"The difference now is we have a Supreme Court ruling that Americans have the right to own a firearm," Thompson said. "This isn't about taking guns away. … It's about the very real, very tragic issue of gun violence."

Gaspar Perricone, co-director of the Bull Moose Sportsmen's Alliance, will be among those testifying at the meeting Wednesday.

Many Americans may have had only bad experiences with guns, Perricone said, which makes it more important for sportsmen who have had positive experiences to speak out.

"I think that sportsmen have been absent from this debate," he said, adding that he supports improvements in the background checks required to obtain a gun.

The hearing is the second held by House Democrats. The first featured testimony from victims of gun violence, members of law enforcement and Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter.

The task force is likely to release its recommendations in early February.

Those will accompany recommendations made last week by Vice President Biden's commission, which Democratic leaders say is critical to helping any gun-regulation bills pass the House.

"I think we look at everything piece by piece," Thompson said.

The task force hearing is one of several moves by gun-control advocates to move the debate on firearms safety forward.Several Senate bills will be introduced this week, including one by Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., that would ban magazines holding more than 10 rounds and the newly revamped assault weapons ban by Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif.

The first Senate hearing on gun policy will be held Jan. 30 in the Judiciary Committee, Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., announced during a speech at Georgetown Law Center last week. Leahy said his committee would use several hearings to explore a wide range of issues dealing with basic gun safety measures as well mental health concerns and violence in the media.

Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., praised Leahy's speech on Tuesday and said should a bill emerge from his committee, it would be put on the Senate floor without debate restrictions.

"This is not an issue that we're going to run from," Reid said. "It's an issue we need to talk about."