Rubio Reiterates Vow To Submarine Gun Regulations
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Senator Marco Rubio reiterated his pledge to prevent any meaningful gun control regulations from even getting a vote in an op/ed column on RollCall.com Thursday. But, Rubio's position, which is supported by fellow Senators Rand Paul and Ted Cruz, is becoming increasingly tenuous amid strong public opinion.
"The way to increase safety is not to take away the rights of responsible gun owners, including those wishing to protect themselves and their loved ones," Rubio wrote. "Instead, by ensuring that those who obey the law can remain the first line of defense against violence, America will become better equipped to handle potential tragedies as they arise."
Rubio's pledge to not even allow legislation to get a vote in the Senate is flying in the face of overwhelming public opinion that is supporting at least some form of gun control. Even large majorities of gun owners and NRA members are supportive of at least some of the proposals Democrats have made.
According to the latest Quinnpiac Poll, 53 percent of voters support stricter gun control laws in the United States. Going further, 59 percent of voters said they support a nationwide ban on the sale of assault weapons, including 56 percent of independents and 79 percent of Democrats.
By a 58-38 percent margin support a nationwide ban on the sale of high capacity magazines that hold more than 10 bullets, Quinnipiac found.
In the most overwhelming numbers, 91 percent of voters, including 88 percent of Republicans, supported requiring background checks for all gun buyers. Politically speaking, it's hard to find anything that 90 percent of American voters support.
The background check expansion has been supported by roughly 90 percent across multiple polls taken in recent weeks, and support has remained fairly steady for the other possible gun control options.
However, Rubio and a few fellow senators are vowing to continue to prevent any measure on gun control from even getting a vote.
