Senator Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has confirmed he will filibuster new gun control legislation, spokesman Brian McGuire confirmed for me today.
While nobody knows yet what Senator Reid’s plan is for the gun bill, if he chooses to file cloture on the motion to proceed to the Reid Bill (S. 649), Senator McConnell will oppose cloture on proceeding to that bill.
The future of the legislation could depend on the success of a Republican mounted filibuster which has seen some opposition from the moderate wing of the party with Senator John McCain (R-AZ) questioning its purpose and asking “what are we afraid of?”
MSNBC host Joe Scarborough took it a step further, claiming that a filibuster would support rapists over parents. “I can’t believe those Republicans are going to allow the entire Republican Party to be the party that basically put rapists’ rights over parents’ rights to keep their kids safe when they go to school,” he said on Morning Joe Monday.
McConnell finds himself instead in the company of recent filibuster champions Rand Paul (R-KY), Mike Lee (R-UT), and Ted Cruz (R-TX), the three of which told Politico in March,”We will oppose the motion to proceed to any legislation that will serve as a vehicle for any additional gun restrictions.”
A bill is expected to land in the Senate for a vote this week.
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