Congress, Guns | featured news

A divided Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday backed President Barack Obama's call to require criminal background checks for all gun buyers, yet it remained uncertain if it would become law.

Budget cuts could thwart efforts to strengthen the gun background check system.

President Obama pledged to work with Congress and others "to arrive at a consensus" on "common sense" ways to reduce gun violence in the wake of the nation's latest mass shooting. Though he supports the Second Amendment right to bear arms, Obama told members of the National Urban League last night, "I also believe that a lot of gun owners would agree that AK-47s belong in the hands of soldiers, not in the hands of criminals."

"We need answers on this. Not defensive BS. Real answers."... Two of [Attorney General Eric] Holder's emails and one from [Deputy Attorney General James] Cole appear to show that they hadn't known about gun-walking but were determined to find out whether the allegations were true.

The White House and House Republicans failed to reach a deal Tuesday to fend off a contempt vote against Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr., all but assuring that the House will move forward.

"The action that the committee took yesterday was unwarranted, unnecessary and unprecedented," he said after meeting European Union justice officials in the Danish capital."

A House committee announced Monday it will consider a measure next week to hold Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt for failing to provide requested information on the department's handling of the "Fast and Furious" gun-smuggling sting operation.

Attorney General Eric Holder lashed back Friday at Republican congressional leaders who suggested he misled a House committee when he testified earlier this year that he was not aware of details about a flawed federal gun investigation that allowed hundreds of weapons to flow to violent Mexican drug cartel enforcers.