Will wonders never cease ... will Congress ever do the jobs the voters expect of them?
Well just maybe ... just in this one case ...
Possible agreement on background checks sets stage for Senate vote on gun measures
by Kasie Hunt, Luke Russert and Kelly O'Donnell, nbcpolitics.nbcnews.com -- 4/09/2013
[...]
"We're hopeful," Manchin told reporters Tuesday when he was asked if he planned to announce a deal on Wednesday.
"We're closer than we've ever been," said Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., after he and Manchin emerged from an evening meeting with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. Schumer has been acting as an intermediary throughout the gun bill negotiations.
Just a few hours later, Toomey's office announced the Wednesday press conference. A source familiar with Manchin's thinking said he and Toomey had a deal "in principle" and were hammering out final details.
[...]
Amazing, what country am I in again?
I thought it was Filibustan-istan?
Will wonders never cease ... will the chicken-hawk road-blockers ever grow a sense of accountability?
In this one case, just maybe ... we'll see.
Gun Control Background Checks Deal All But Done In Senate Between Manchin, Toomey
by Sam Stein, huffingtonpost.com -- 04/09/2013
[...]
The contours of the deal are not far from where previous negotiations ended. The bill would expand background checks to all commercial gun transactions, including those that take place at gun shows, according to a source close to negotiations. It would exempt family transfers and gifts or temporary transfers for hunters and sportsmen, though the exact language was still being negotiated. There will be record-keeping for transactions in which a background check takes place, though it remained unclear who would keep those records. The expanded background checks would be done through a federal firearm license holder instead of through an online portal -- a policy win for gun control advocates.
A spokesman for Manchin said that a deal was close, but not final. A spokesman for Toomey said the senators “continue to work on final details but they appear close to a deal.” Another Senate source said the two “have a deal.”
An agreement would represent a major breakthrough in gun control talks.
[...]
Will wonders never cease ... all it takes is
an overwhelming majority of Americans to agree (
91%) for Congress to get off their collective asses --
and do something!
Finally! ... (Maybe ... we'll see.)