Gun bills may trigger split

The Senate will begin another debate on federal gun laws this week, and at least one issue may put it at odds with Republicans in the other chamber.

A Republican-led bill to immunize gun makers from wrongful-death claims is expected to hit the floor tomorrow, but Democrats and liberal Republicans will propose an amendment to extend the federal assault-weapons ban, possibly setting up a showdown with the House.

President Bush supports the assault-weapons proposal as well as the overall immunity bill.

“With regard to the assault-weapons ban, he supports the extension of the current ban,” White House spokeswoman Claire Buchan said. “On immunity, he doesn’t believe manufacturers of a legal product should be held liable for the illegal use of that product.”

The assault-weapons ban, signed in 1994 by President Clinton, outlawed the sale, import or manufacture of semiautomatic firearms with certain combinations of military-style features, such as bayonet mounts and flash suppressors.

The ban is set to expire Sept. 13, and a split could arise between the White House and House Republicans backed by some of the conservative movement’s most powerful interest groups.

The president wants the extension to make good on his 2000 campaign promise to continue the “common sense” legislation. But he also wants to protect the gun industry from trial lawyers, a position supported by the National Rifle Association.

“Our position is very clear. This is not about extending the Clinton gun ban and it shouldn’t muddy the waters,” said Wayne LaPierre, NRA executive vice president.

“The issue is, do we want to save the American gun industry or kill it … and we oppose any expansion of the Clinton semiautomatic gun ban,” Mr. LaPierre said.

House Republican leadership has vowed to see the ban expire. And the friction between House and Senate Republicans over legislative compromises on the energy and Medicare bills could worsen if the bill for gun makers’ immunity enters the House chamber with unwanted amendments.

House Majority Leader Tom DeLay said last year that there weren’t enough votes in the House to reauthorize the ban, and he has vowed not to fight for votes to push the legislation.

But Senate Democrats will not let the immunity proposal pass without extending the ban and may hold the overall bill hostage using amendments.

Howard Gantman, spokesman for Sen. Dianne Feinstein, said the California Democrat “has said that she would offer this bill [as an amendment] to the Republican gun-liability bill.”

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