McConnell Instruction to Cornyn Hints Where GOP May ‘Compromise’ on Guns

It seems Cornyn’s instinctive reaction after a mass casualty event is to tighten the net on those already inclined to obey the law. (John Cornyn/Facebook)

U.S.A. – -(Ammoland.com)- “Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell told CNN on Thursday he met earlier in the day with Texas Sen. John Cornyn and encouraged the senior Republican senator to begin discussions with Democrats, including Sens. Chris Murphy of Connecticut and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, to see if they can find a middle ground on legislation to respond to the tragic Texas elementary school shooting,” CNN reports. “McConnell would not say specifically what the contours of that legislation should be, instead signaling he wants Cornyn to be the one to negotiate.”

Passing the ball to Cornyn may BE the signal, as this column speculated, noting his past support for “mental health” prior restraints—for which he obtained cover from the National Rifle Association in 2015.

Backers of the bill claimed “due process” protections will be increased for veterans and others under Cornyn’s bill. Per his spokesman, “This bill codifies into law that individuals must get their day in court they’re entitled to, and no agency or state can make their own determination without that.”

The devil being in the details, “due process” can mean different things, with not all “hearings” providing the same legal safeguards as a jury trial. And that raises questions of concern that haven’t been spelled out.

Specifically, will decisions be influenced by those who may have biases of their own, as can currently be the case, with ATF’s “clarifying the term ‘adjudicated as a mental defective’ to mean a determination by a court, board, commission or other lawful authority,” and with some states applying even broader “standards”?

If this is the direction Cornyn will be looking, what protections will exist to offset politically connected anti-gun judges, politically-appointed boards, and “expert” adherents of the American Psychiatric Association’s “Position Statement on Firearm Access, Acts of Violence and the Relationship to Mental Illness and Mental Health Services”? It’s fair to ask because APA includes in its advocacy platform registration-enabling, background checks, “smart” guns, storage requirements, “gun-free” zones, doctor-patient boundary violations, and tax-funded anti-gun “studies,” all outside the scope of the training and credentialing of those making these proposals.

Also of interest – how will rights be restored when there is no longer a compelling mental health prescription to deny them? What universal appeal mechanism – affordable to all, not just to elites for whom money is no object – will exist to declare a person is once more “eligible” to keep and bear arms? What guarantees are there that the same biases that colored the disability ruling in the first place won’t reassert themselves in the “parole” process? And have we identified psychiatric evaluators, risk management administrators, and insurers who will be willing to subject themselves to malpractice liabilities should a person deemed “fit” be misdiagnosed? Or will the pressure be to “err on the side of caution”?

And not to put too fine a point on things, but does anyone think for one second this will really keep those who are inclined toward evil away from firearms?

In the rush to “do something” and avert political fallout, Republicans need to be reminded that betraying their base to make concessions to those who demand it all is no way to build a “red wave.” Throw a scrap of flesh to a pack of circling jackals and nature teaches us they will not then go away and leave you alone. You’d think even the Republican leadership would understand that.


About David Codrea:

David Codrea is the winner of multiple journalist awards for investigating/defending the RKBA and a long-time gun owner rights advocate who defiantly challenges the folly of citizen disarmament. He blogs at “The War on Guns: Notes from the Resistance,” is a regularly featured contributor to Firearms News, and posts on Twitter: @dcodrea and Facebook.

David Codrea

David Codrea
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Green Mtn. Boy

The only compromise required is to get rid of each and every RINO,if they want to join the Commiecrat party do so but don’t call yourself a conserative

Jaque

The only compromise that matters is that of the citizen. If the citizen surrenders to tyranny then tyranny wins. It the citizen resists tyranny then the citizen wins. Resist and remain free. Surrender and be enslaved.

Russn8r

Not quite. Also that of the federal, state & local enforcers aka LEOs who crap on their oath, their country, and their moral duty, and those who make excuses for them.

Russn8r

Downvoters put paycheck over oath and country.

Tionico

Most rational beings hold that being locked in solitary confinement for more than a year, no legal representation, no trial, because your cell phone locator dats “indicates” that you were within a mile of a certain area, at a time when “something happened” the gummit dislikes, because the same one decided to resist tyranny b]very gently is NOT a win. Ask any of the hundreds sill in hoosegow for the above details being discovered on 6 January of 2021.

Arizona

Red flag laws are unequivocally unconstitutional. Your property is stolen via a forced invasion of your home, all without your ever having committed a single crime. Fu– that, and anyone who votes for them!

Gearmode

There is no reason to compromise on anything. Compromise means to surrender. What is being surrendered is our Rights. As an American I hired these people to protect my Rights, not to squander them away.

Tionico

I find it signficant that you did NOT say you hired them to protect YOU..ONLY to protect yuor rights.
This is a truth the vast majority of said gummit operators would heartily protest. But they’d be WRONG. READ the document. Takes maybe half an hour, three fourths if you have to look up very many words.

john

Republicans now showing there allegiance to the democrats not the truth to the american people.Rhinos need to become extinct and go the way of the dinosaurs. The truth how do you fix the mentally ill and the criminally insane those the want to commit evil. First stop blaming law abiding citizens then remove all the firearms laws on the books. They have nothing to do with the safety of our citizens. The laws that are in effect have not saved one life and more will do nothing. When judges district attorney’s Mayors Governors call for those in prison to be… Read more »

Laddyboy

Spelling error; DemoKKKrats or Demoncrats or Dementracrats or Dems or LEFT BRAINWASHED NAZIs. Not Democrat! There is a CONSTITUTIONAL SUPPORTING DIFFERENCE!

Hazcat

If you can’t trust a person to not harm others then that person should not be let free in society. Don’t infringe upon my rights to accommodate them!

Finnky

Please stop saying such things. The left don’t trust a single one of us – so they would say that under your logic every gun owner should be disarmed and locked up for life. Remember – they are the party of peace through violence.

Roland T. Gunner

Hazcat’s comment came out just fine, and makes good common sense. How could you two ascribe it such a backwards meaning? Not trying to be snarky, I’m really asking.

hippybiker

I have had the fervent opinion for many years that most politicians are nothing more than “Egg Sucking Dogs!”

Roland T. Gunner

Please do not disparage egg sucking dogs that way.

GomeznSA

hippy – at least with a dog you can pet it and it will wag its tail. Pet a politician and all you will get is their hand held out for more – while the other hand is already likely in your pocket taking whatever they can grab.

Wild Bill

Yes, and a pet dog knows who is master.

archmark

Cornyn’s ALWAYS been a RINO Libtard…

Wild Bill

Yes he is … with a political machine backing him!

Roland T. Gunner

And he will pander yo whatever voting femographic he thinks can get him re-elected, though his specialty is suburban soccer moms.

john

Texas is a big state there is a whole country at stake. Given current events democrats want Texas as their own. Close that border

GomeznSA

john – closing the border is one part of the puzzle. You do realize that the single biggest voting bloc that is trending ‘red’ are LEGAL immigrants. After all they played by the rules and see first hand what open borders – and pandering to those interlopers – has done to their communities. Unfortunately too many of the second generation are buying in to the ‘they are owed’ mentality. Getting too much free stuff for most of their lives tends to only make them want more.

GomeznSA

arch – rino – he definitely does NOT deserve caps as that is a sign of respect which he has not earned. I call him squishy. since he is more than willing to bend any way the dems want him to.

gregs

like gearmode said, compromise is surrender. you should not compromise without definitive facts/data showing you are wrong.
when has the left been correct on any firearms related subject? NEVER! therefore, there should not be compromise/surrendering to their position.
you cannot legislate away evil intent and the attempt to do so is insanitary.
again, a firearm is an inanimate object that requires human interaction to function, whether for good or evil.
government agents do more harm than good.

Chuck

If the GOP caves on Gun Control, they’ll lose the Midterms. Guarantee It.

GomeznSA

Chuck – If they cave they all should be immediately recalled. I’m not sure we can survive until the mid terms. ;-(

Cruiser

These tools need to be schooled in the Constitution.

JSNMGC

Have you called Cornyn’s office to “school” his staff?

John Cornyn
Tyler office
(903) 593-0902

Moms Demanding Action are calling.

GomeznSA

m44 – and that is particularly true of CONgress since far too many of them are liars oops lawyers.

Bill

McConnell and Cornyn will jump in bed with the Socialist Democrat Party and hand them a gun “victory” to run on in the fall.
As Pogo once said: “We have met the enemy and he is us!”

Russn8r

Sure about that? Jon Cornhole & Mitch McCornhole are senators. At least 3 other RINOs will sell out: Pierre, Murky & Susie. DemComs have 50. Done deal if they want it.

Russn8r

They can end the rule by simplemajority, then pass it by simplemajority – “desperate measures” and all.

Last edited 1 year ago by Russn8r
GomeznSA

Ope – that is a VERY slender reed on which to rely. It won’t take much for that to change. I suspect better results would come from putting pressure on the couple of three dem senators who have demonstrated a modicum of common sense (which isn’t in most of their cases) on a few occasions,

Mac

Common sense does not come into play when our professional politicians start with their power grabs.

The other Jim

Excellent article David. You hit all of the major points in such a short piece: “due process can mean different things, with not all “hearings” providing the same legal safeguards as a jury trial”; “ATF’s “clarifying the term ‘adjudicated as a mental defective’ to mean a determination by a court, board, commission or other lawful authority,”; “how will rights be restored when there is no longer a compelling mental health prescription to deny them?”; “What universal appeal mechanism – affordable to all, not just to elites for whom money is no object – will exist to declare a person is… Read more »

nrringlee

Writing from behind enemy lines in California David is well aware of the dangers and far more current than most on the failures of C A Welfare and Institutions Code 5150 as well as the travesties committed under the CA Red Flag Intervention statute signed by Jerry Brown. That is why I read him. You have to watch carefully what is happening in these progressive utopias in both law and policy to see what the oligarchs of the Progressive New Left have coming down the pike to the not-so-blue states and localities. WE must be ever vigilant, be not only… Read more »

Tionico

He USED to be in Californoa but very wisely and mercifully escaped. He is somewhere in the midwes,t I think, but since I cannot recall for certain I’ll just leve it there.

hoss

This country has a lack of God problem, and a mental health problem. Which some one asked me; What about the government. I just looked at them, and said “Think about it”
IF NOT NOW, WHEN?

Last edited 1 year ago by hoss
Wild Bill

When the conditions favor a victory for us. The time and place of our choosing, brother.

Last edited 1 year ago by Wild Bill
Doug G.

Haven’t we learned over and over that dealing with Democrats is a no sum endeavor? They are never reasonable, honest or forthright in getting what they want. To think that a “conversation” can be had on the topic of guns is outright lunacy, as it has been tried and tried over the years and always ends with Republicans rolling over to save face. Why would this time be any different? SMH Aren’t there a number of things, other than gun control, that should be getting addressed first? Maybe like the repeated government failures that allowed the mass shooters to legally… Read more »

Last edited 1 year ago by Doug G.
john

Why Democrats are dishonest: Democrats in blue-dominated states around the nation have grabbed ahold of a new talking point, calling on Republicans to pass “evidence-based policy interventions” to stop the gun-related violence. What does that mean? It means whatever Democrats say it means. Democrats know all their bluster and grandstanding and political posturing about gun control is just that — bluster, grandstanding and political posturing. Democrats know they can’t disarm criminals by passing more gun control laws. So they simply push for more restrictions on the rights of legal carriers to carry. They push to restrict only those who will… Read more »

Wild Bill

Boy howdie, are democrats ever dishonest. I came across this article just minutes ago on the internet. Does anyone know if this is true?

NEWS & POLITICS
Military Arrests White House Deputy Chief of Staffcomment image

U.S. Army Rangers on Wednesday arrested former Biden campaign manager and current Deputy Chief of Staff Jennifer Brigid O’Malley Dillon at a Washington, D.C. hotel, the response to a military investigation into whether she took part in a 2020 ballot harvesting ring in which Democrat-liberal sympathizers, known as “mules,” illegally collected and deposited ballots into drop boxes in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin during the 2020 presidential election.

According to a JAG source, White Hats took interest in Dillon after viewing conservative author Dinesh D’Souza’s video 2000 Mules, which showed surveillance video of seedy individuals making repeated trips to drop boxes in the aforementioned states; in each instance they carried in their arms reams of ballots.

The video, our source said, sounded alarm bells in the White Hat community, and prompted a thorough probe.

Although Dillon goes unmentioned in D’Souza’s video, the military began its investigation at the crest of Biden’s election hierarchy, believing that she, who became Biden’s campaign manager in April 2020, had knowledge of the scheme—or orchestrated it. Our source would not at this time cite specific evidence, but said JAG had obtained from U.S. Army Cyber Command “concrete proof” linking her to “innumerable” illegal ballots.

“The case against Dillon is open and shut,” he said.

The charge on a military arrest warrant was suspicion of treason, which, if proven, can carry a death sentence.

However, it’s still unclear whether JAG will prosecute Dillon or strike a deal in hopes she will lead them to bigger fish.

Best News Here will update as more information becomes available.

Russn8r

Q-tard alert.

Bill

And just why is the military involved in an alleged ballot harvesting scheme involving a civilian???? Deputy Chief of Staff for What and Where??
This sounds very fishy to me!

Russn8r

It’s BS. If not a Q-tard himself, WB’s pushing psyinfo to see how many tards he can psy-punk. See all the chumps who upvoted. LOL

Finnky

Just ask yourself whether army has any jurisdiction over civilians off base.

There are federal laws against using military for civilian law enforcement – so I’d rate this as highly unbelievable. Attractive – but likely fake news.

Roland T. Gunner

One can always hope, but I have to say, the thought of the US military performing police functions on US soil does not sit well with me; even in prosecution of our enemies.

Wild Bill

I was most disappointed to find out that this was a hoax. Good thing that I did not go down town and buy drinks for everybody!!

Russn8r

Q-tard alert confirmed.

Wild Bill

See Freddy, I’m not responding to him.

john

So far its seems real till Democrats say it’s not.The left’s fact checkers will have field day with this. https://grauthor.com/military-arrests-white-house-deputy-chief-of-staff/ “U.S. Army Rangers on Wednesday arrested former Biden campaign manager and current Deputy Chief of Staff Jennifer Brigid O’Malley Dillon at a Washington, D.C. hotel, the result of a military investigation into whether she took part in a ballot harvesting ring . . . The charge on a military arrest warrant was suspicion of treason, which, if proven, can carry a death sentence. However, it’s still unclear whether JAG will prosecute Dillon or strike a deal in hopes she will… Read more »

john

The story is said to be false news wait and see.

Wild Bill

I found out from the good folks at Ammoland that it is a hoax!

Russn8r

OMG. Talk about getting psy-punked. So this is the level of gullibility that graduates from Hemline U, War College, “killing guys named Muhammad”, and the rest of your legend?

Wild Bill

Not responding.

Russn8r

Translation: Guilty as charged.

Wild Bill

You can not enter a plea for someone else. Didn’t you know?

Russn8r

No, but I can translate yours.

USMC0351Grunt
GomeznSA

john – you only missed one ‘minor’ point – too many dems (usually by accident) have admitted that they will never target (pun intended) known criminals with any new laws because they know that those criminals are already law breakers.

Roland T. Gunner

NO MORE COMPROMISE! ITS TIME THE PENDULUM SWINGS THE OTHER WAY! and we should have put weak-kneed, hand-wringing John Cornyn out to pasture years ago.

GomeznSA

Roland – totally agree. Their idea of ‘compromise’ is (and has always been) for their ‘loyal opposition” (us no wait the rinos) to sit down, shut up and do what they tell us. The big squish Cornyn has demonstrated many times he is more than happy to do just that. I guess that is why post turtle is ‘encouraging’ him. Anyone willing to even consider trying to make a deal with the likes of murphy has already lost the battle.

Wolfpack98

Cornyn and McConnell are just POS. Stuck with both of these arse’s for another 4 years. Best we can hope for is someone beats McConnell for majority leader after 2022 wins and they remove Cornyn from Judiciary Comm. Texas knew what he was about before 2020. How did he not get primaried?

GomeznSA

Wolf – he almost did in ’14. I’m guessing that no one had the heart to try again for ’20. In the final analysis he likely got re-elected (both times) simply because the alternative democRAT would have even been worse. Hard to imagine though in the long run

MICHAEL J

Lifetime career politicians are the very reason this country is circling the drain.
When they start aligning with the left, they damn the balance if there ever was one.

Finnky

Compromise is fine. How about they rescind NFA in exchange for considering mental health restrictions – with at least all the protections David Codrea suggested? ^^^ note I said considering – not accepting.
Sometimes the other side has to take the first step 🙂

Roland T. Gunner

now I’d support that.

Boz

Do what you want, doesn’t apply to me. l abstain from the effect of your traitorous IegisIation.

GomeznSA

Boz – I suspect that is true for most of us and will work, at least until we get dimed out or do something overt that gets us on their radar.

StLPro2A

Law-abiding citizens…..
own 400+ million legal firearms;
have 1+ Trillion rounds of ammo;
If we were the problem, you would know it.

Mack

This comment is specifically about Cornyn.

He has always been a moral coward.

When he was Texas Attorney General, it was his responsibility to defend the state’s ban against sodomy as it went to SCOTUS for review.

He refused to do so because he was running for U.S. Senate and did not want to jeopardize his chances with anything controversial.

The result is Lawrence v. Texas.

Because of his cowardice, we now have:

Legal anal sex

Gay marriage

Transgenderism.

Russn8r

Paxton’s great, but other than him, why do Texans keep nominating traitors like Crenshaw & passive-aggressive cucks like Abbott-Phelan-Burrows who only do the right thing under heavy pressure from conservatives, often not then?

Abbott-Phelan-Patrick’s BFD “election security” law cut fraud from felony to misdemeanor so it’s nearly risk-free.

Refused to ban child sex change ops in special session after taking Big $s from sex-change mills.

Abbott-Phelan-Burrows Kill Child Sex Surgery Ban
https://texasscorecard.com/podcasts/how-burrows-phelan-abbott-killed-a-ban-on-sex-change-surgeries-in-texas-episode-140

Take $250k from sex-change mills
https://nationalfile.com/texas-abbott-patrick-house-speaker-received-250k-from-clinic-that-chemically-castrates-transgender-kids/

Bill

Another criminal takes action, and as usual our “leaders” think up ways to further abuse honest citizens. Build values that respect life? Can’t be doing things like that, because everyone’s grievance (that they didn’t even think of until activists pointed it out) is so much more important.

TGP389

We should compromise just as much as you would like your wife’s honor to be compromised, or your daughter’s chastity.

nrringlee

Step on begins with an objective analysis by the US Department of Justice on previous mass shootings, school shootings in particular and what failed. That is impossible in our current culture of ideologies over ideas so the rest of the discussion is moot. Were we still a rational society we could then look at what failsafes failed. Look at things like the Baker Act in Florida. Why did it fail to identify and tag Nicholas Cruz. Look at Texas and New York law in the current cases under discussion. Are there gaps in law or are there failures of bureaucracy.… Read more »

Tionico

There are two factrors that are almost universally present in everysuccessful mass killing incident. There was NO armed person present who had any way of resisting/taking out the perp. The perps are nearly all males, and were raised (or otherwise the prodict of) homes wiht no father figure present AND involved. The first is the direct result of public policy. This school distract was NOT one of them in texas that can hop thorgh a few simple hoops then have normal folk (as in, NOT law enforcement proffessionals) carry their normal weapon they carry everywheree else BUT the school. This… Read more »

Russn8r

Well said. BTW, the Uvalde police chief is a Beto donor.

Orion

in researching Florida’s recently passed state version, it does seem to be working. maybe you guys should take a look before dismissing the whole concept. after all, the last thing we need is another wacko going off the deep end and taking more innocents with him.

nrringlee

The Baker Act was law when Nicky Cruz evaded at least four mental health interventions and over 60 calls to local police. So please elaborate. Law is just paper until it is invoked.

Wild Bill

The Baker Act?

hoss

The Baker Act allows for the temporary detention and examination of people showing evidence of mental illness and who are in danger of harming themselves or others. This includes danger from self-neglect as well as physical harm.
Trust in God, and not government!
IF NOT NOW, WHEN?

Wild Bill

Thank you. Is that a Federal act?

Tionico

please do not bury the FOUR felony level crimes he is KNOWN to have committed. Had he been charged wiht even ONE of them he’d have had to go underground to buy his weapon. Blame the poohbahs of Broward County for preferring to claim the $Mn54 prize for reducing their ARREST rates. (He’d have added four to their list) Instead they maintained the same CRIME rates as before, but the prize was based on ARREST numbers, not CRIME numbers. So he walked. And folks DIED. That falls on the admin of broward COunty, starting with the BCSO. They seem to… Read more »

OldJarhead03

Oh boy, “find a middle ground”.
That means limber up and get ready to bend over.

Rebel VA

Middle ground? Bull5hit.Go after the perps!

StLPro2A

The problem is NOT guns.
It’s hearts without God.
Homes without discipline.
Families without two loving parents.
Courts without Justice.
Schools without God and prayer…..Libs gonna’ punish Uvadle kids for praying to God to be saved by good guys with guns????
All directly from the Left’s play book.

Last edited 1 year ago by StLPro2A
StLPro2A

For the umpteenth time, Politicians with laws never stop bad guys with guns. They only control the good guys, which is their true agenda. The late Col Jeff Cooper commented in 1958, “Killing is a matter of will, not means. You cannot control the intent by passing laws about the means.” “That is why our masters in Washington are so anxious to disarm us. They are not afraid of criminals. They are afraid of a populace which cannot be subdued by tyrants.” – the late Col Jeff Cooper. If we are going to punish the innocent for the crimes of… Read more »

RAS

The Democrats were quick to pounce with their favorite adage that has served them well: “never let a good crisis go to waste.” U.S. Senator Chris Murphy-D-CT, without any facts in hand, was the first in line to politicize and weaponize the Texas school tragedy. “Only in America!”, he said. Murphy seems to have conveniently forgotten the 80 youngsters gunned down at a camp in Norway. Guns are banned in Norway. How about the shooter who killed 7 school children in France? Guns are banned in France. Cops don’t even carry guns. 15 school children shot in Germany. Guns banned… Read more »

JSNMGC

It’s not a compromise. We get nothing in return. It’s merely more capitulation.

nrringlee

He who trades a little bit of liberty for a little bit of security deserves neither.

Wild Bill

Ben Franklin, I think.

Tackleberry

A better variation: “Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom, it is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves.” – William Pitt the Younger November 1783

Wild Bill

yeah, that is a good quote!

Wild Bill

Quite possibly!!

Roland T. Gunner

That would be the First War of Northern Aggression.

Wild Bill

Yes, he also enshrined the phrase “OOOhhhhhh shit!”