But passing gun legislation in Congress has proved nearly impossible and the House of Representatives is already gone for its August recess, which means no bill can be taken up until September. While the lawmakers said they are soliciting Republican support, at least one Republican, Senator Mike Rounds of South Dakota, said it would be extremely difficult to stop the proliferation of the weapons. It is not clear what Mr. Trump is prepared to do in the wake of his tweet. The president has been a staunch supporter of gun rights and has repeatedly said that he is the best friend of the National Rifle Association, which contributed about $30 million to his presidential campaign. Lawrence Keane, who handles government affairs for the National Shooting Sports Foundation, said that the gun group does not “see this as a significant issue from a law enforcement, public safety perspective.”

Source: New York Times July 31, 2018 13:56 UTC