When the U.S. Senate debates the national budget next week, Democrats will have the opportunity to introduce amendments pertaining to any issue they like. But Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has signaled that he would like to avoid wading into the debate over firearms.
The Hill reports that Schumer is worried over the potential for anti-gun posturing to hurt Democrats running for re-election. He instead wants to focus on President Donald Trump’s tax plan and proposed cuts to Medicare, which he thinks will go over better with voters in swing states.
Sen. Schumer has proved himself in the past to be an implacable foe of the Second Amendment and the NRA. His new pragmatism on guns suggests that his leadership role has forced him to confront one unwelcome truth: Opposing the right to bear arms is a losing proposition.