Sen. Joe Manchin says ban on AR-15s unlikely, bump stock ban a "no brainer"
West Virginia Sen. Joe Machin said ahead of his White House meeting with bipartisan members of Congress to discuss gun legislation that America has "woke up" and is demanding common-sense gun reforms in the wake of the latest mass shooting in Parkland, Florida.
"The mindset change right now -- we're seeing a movement we've never seen before, were seeing it from children," Manchin said on "CBS This Morning" of calls for lawmakers to step up and provide sweeping reforms to gun laws.
He added, "People are speaking out, they want common sense, they want things that make common sense."
Manchin co-sponsored a bill after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting that established a database of those prohibited from owning guns while expanding background checks. He said Wednesday that changing the loopholes of commercial sales of guns is a good first step to reforms while still protecting Second Amendment rights.
The Democrat doubted the likelihood of passing any legislation in a Republican-controlled Congress without the president's support.
"Here's the thing: Republicans control the House, they control the Senate and the White House, the political reality that we're living in today is if President Trump does not get behind something, they wont have the cover they think or feel comfortable with as far as voting."
As Mr. Trump has signaled he would be open to several measures to provide gun reforms, Manchin said he was "all for" the the bipartisan "Fix NICS" background checks bill which aims to strengthen the nation's background check system, and called the president's willingness to ban bump stocks a "no brainer."
"There's so many things that can be done, it just makes sense, why we're not doing anything doesn't make sense," he said.
Manchin said, however, that a possible ban on AR-15 assault rifles did not look likely to pass in the Senate.
"That's a tough one there but there's not enough votes to do away with that, that's political reality we're dealing with," he said.