Senate GOP blocks effort by Democrats to pass bump stock ban after Supreme Court ruling

Senate Republicans on Tuesday blocked an attempt by Democrats to pass a bill to ban bump stocks in the wake of a recent Supreme Court ruling.

Senate Republicans on Tuesday blocked an attempt by Democrats to pass a bill to ban bump stocks in the wake of a recent Supreme Court ruling. The bill would enact a federal ban on the sale of bump stock devices. Bump stocks allow a shooter to convert a semi-automatic rifle into a weapon that can fire at a rate of hundreds of rounds a minute. The Supreme Court on Friday struck down a federal ban on bump stocks approved by former President Donald Trump, the latest opinion from the conservative court rolling back firearm regulations. While some Republicans support a ban on bump stocks, the issue has divided GOP senators in the aftermath of the high court ruling. On Tuesday, Democratic Sen. Martin Heinrich of New Mexico made a request on the Senate floor for unanimous consent to pass the bill and Republican Sen. Pete Ricketts of Nebraska objected, calling it a “show vote.” “As a firearms owner myself, there’s no legitimate use for a bump stock – not for self defense, not in a law enforcement context, not even in military applications … but what they are tailor made for is a mass shooting,” Heinrich said, noting that the bill he was seeking to pass has bipartisan support. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer also spoke on the floor in support of a ban.