U.S. Rep. Kurt Schrader (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter)
Oregon’s Rep. Kurt Schrader was one of only two congressional Democrats to vote against a sweeping gun package Wednesday.
The “Protecting Our Kids Act,” which passed the U.S. House on a largely party-line vote on Wednesday, would raise the minimum age for buying a semi-automatic weapon from 18 to 21, ban ammunition magazines with more than 15 rounds, tighten regulations around “ghost guns” and gun storage and make it a federal crime to buy a gun for someone who can’t pass a background check.
Lawmakers voted on each provision individually, then on the entire bill.
Schrader voted against the combined package and against individual provisions to raise the age to buy semi-automatic weapons and ban high-capacity magazines. He was recorded as “not voting” on the section of the bill requiring safe weapon storage.
His spokesman did not respond to emailed questions from the Capital Chronicle on Thursday morning, nor did Schrader address his votes on the House floor or through statements or social media afterward.
Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine and the other Democrat who voted against the gun control legislation, published a lengthy press release and blog post explaining his vote and saying that the House’s legislation was too sweeping and doesn’t stand a chance of becoming law.
Five House Republicans voted for the Protecting Our Kids Act. A bipartisan group of senators are crafting their own narrower gun legislation, as the Senate’s filibuster requires Democrats to obtain support from at least 10 Republicans to pass any bills.
Shortly after a gunman killed 19 young children at a Texas elementary school in May, Schrader told the Capital Chronicle that the country needed “immediate action to ensure no more lives are lost.” He described his support for two background check measures that passed the House and future gun safety protections, including increased funding for school safety grants and gun violence research.
“Immediately, we need to strengthen and implement universal background checks with the Federal Bureau of Investigation in charge,” Schrader said at the time. “We also need to fix loopholes in our current gun laws that have made it way too easy for individuals who should not be able to access guns in the first place. This includes the ‘boyfriend’ loophole, which is already enforced in Oregon, which would help protect dating partners from domestic abusers with guns.”
On his congressional website, Schrader describes himself as a lifelong gun owner and promises to protect the Second Amendment. He also lists some gun control measures he supports, including expanding background checks, allowing courts to temporarily limit someone’s access to guns if they pose a threat to themselves or others and seeking more data on school shootings.
Oregon Capital Chronicle is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Oregon Capital Chronicle maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Les Zaitz for questions: [email protected]. Follow Oregon Capital Chronicle on Facebook and Twitter.
STORY TIP OR IDEA? Send an email to Salem Reporter’s news team: [email protected].
