Support for gun control slips below 50 percent after Senate vote

Fewer than 50 percent of Americans say they support stricter gun controls, according to a survey released Tuesday, the first time since December's Newtown, Conn. elementary school shooting than less than half of those surveyed say they would back a new gun law.

According to the USA Today survey, 49 percent of Americans say they support passing a new gun control law while 45 percent oppose new legislation. That's down from 55 percent who supported new regulations in April and 61 percent in February. 

Last week, Senate Democrats failed to win the 60 votes necessary to move forward on a compromise bill that would have expanded background checks and instituted new penalties on so-called straw purchasers. Senate leaders had already acknowledged they were unlikely to win enough votes on an assault weapons ban or legislation limiting the size of magazine capacities — two suggestions of President Obama's gun violence commission.

Those who support new gun reforms are likely to be disappointed with the Senate's votes. Sixty-one percent of those who support new gun laws say Congress "should only agree to a stronger version of the bill, even if it might not pass," while just three in 10 say they should back a weaker law they know can win approval. Individual measures that comprise the totality of proposed gun control tend to poll higher than the overall bill, although the USA Today survey did not break out specific provisions. A Washington Post / ABC News poll earlier this month found that 86 percent of all Americans backed an expansion of background checks to cover gun shows and online sales.

On Monday, White House press secretary Jay Carney said Obama would "continue to push" for new gun restrictions.

"So the fact is this is hard because there are institutional reasons, there are political reasons, and there are other, I'm sure, personal reasons for why senators chose to vote against the vast majority of the American people," Carney said. "But we will continue to press the case. And this President made clear on Friday that this is just round one of this fight, that this will happen because it's the right thing to do and it's entirely common sense, and it would result in lives being saved."

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Texas Lawmaker Withdraws Amendment To Punish Universities For Offering LGBT Support

University LGBT resource centers in Texas may be safe for now. Thursday night, state Rep. Bill Zedler (R) withdrew his amendment to the appropriations bill that would have cut funding for any public universities that provided support service for LGBT students. Zedler did not explain his decision to withdraw, but his actions mirror those of Rep. Wayne Christian (R) who proposed then withdrew a similar measure in 2011.

Zedler’s bill not-so-subtly suggested that homosexuality directly causes disease:

An institution of higher education may not use money appropriated to the institution under this Act, or any property or facility of the institution funded by appropriations under this Act, to support, promote, or encourage any behavior that would lead to high risk behavior for AIDS, HIV, Hepatitis B, or any sexually transmitted disease.

Though Zedler’s amendment is not advancing, efforts are still underway to undermine the support for LGBT students, particularly at Texas A&M University, where students are attempting to opt-out of funding the campus’s center on religious grounds.

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Kirk becomes second Republican senator to support gay marriage

Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) announced his support for same-sex marriage on Tuesday, becoming the second sitting GOP senator to do so.

"Same-sex couples should have the right to civil marriage," Kirk said in a statement on his blog.

"Our time on this earth is limited, I know that better than most," continued Kirk, who returned to the Senate earlier this year after a lengthy absence to recover from a stroke. "Life comes down to who you love and who loves you back — government has no place in the middle."

Kirk's statement came the same morning that Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) also announced that he supports same-sex marriage.

Kirk joins Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio), who switched positions in March, as the only sitting Republican senators to support gay marriage.

Last week, the Supreme Court held hearings on challenges to California's Proposition 8, which bans same-sex marriage and the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman. The legal challenges brought a flood of high-profile Democratic senators, including many from swing states or traditionally GOP strongholds, publicly supporting gay marriage.

Besides Carper, seven other Senate Democrats have endorsed same-sex marriage in recent weeks: Sens. Jay Rockefeller (W.Va.), Mark Warner (Va.), Bob Casey Jr. (Pa.), Kay Hagan (N.C.), Claire McCaskill (Mo.), Mark Begich (Alaska), and Jon Tester (Mont.).

Polls also show growing acceptance among the public of gay marriage, leading many in the GOP to adopt a softer stance.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) last week said her position on the issue was "evolving." And fellow Republican Sen. Jeff Flake (Ariz.) said that while he supported traditional marriage, he believed it "inevitable" that a 2016 GOP presidential contender could openly support gay marriage.

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Senators Rockefeller And Begich Add Their Support For Marriage Equality

Two more Senators have expressed their full support for marriage equality, joining Sens. Mark Warner (D-VA) and Claire McCaskill (D-MO), who endorsed the freedom to marry earlier this week.

Alaska Sen. Mark Begich (D) issued a statement Monday night supporting same-sex couples’ rights to marry:

BEGICH: I believe that same sex couples should be able to marry and should have the same rights, privileges and responsibilities as any other married couple. Government should keep out of individuals’ personal lives — if someone wants to marry someone they love, they should be able to. Alaskans are fed up with government intrusion into our private lives, our daily business, and in the way we manage our resources and economy.

Similarly, Sen. John “Jay” Rockefeller (D-WV) told ABC News that government should not discriminate against couples based on their sexual orientation:

ROCKEFELLER: Like so many of my generation, my views on allowing gay couples to marry have been challenged in recent years by a new, more open generation. Churches and ministers should never have to perform marriages that violate their religious beliefs, but the government shouldn’t discriminate against people who want to marry just because of their gender.

Younger people in West Virginia and even my own children have grown up in a much more equal society and they rightly push us to question old assumptions — to think deeply about what it means for all Americans to be created equal. This has been a process for me, but at this point I think it’s clear that DOMA is discriminatory. I’m against discrimination in all its forms, and I think we can move forward in our progress toward true equality by repealing DOMA.

Rockefeller joins 21 other Senators who originally voted for the Defense of Marriage Act and later opposed it.

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John Bolton Calls Israeli Support For Obama ‘Propaganda’

John Bolton

John Bolton — a self-appointed supposed strong supporter of Israel — accused the Israeli government on Tuesday of lying in expressing its support for President Obama.

The Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C. produced a video welcoming Obama on his visit this week to the Jewish state. The unusual video depicts cartoon-like versions of the president and Israeli Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu shaking hands to the tune of the “Golden Girls” theme song “Thank You For Being A Friend.”

Fox News host Greta Van Susteren wondered why then, if things were so bad between Obama and Israel, that the Israelis would make such a video. Bolton could think of only one answer: It’s propaganda:

VAN SUSTEREN: The Obama administration saying the president’s trip is mostly a fence mending mission, but it looks like [referring tot he video] the Israelis are welcoming him with open arms. Ambassador, what do you think about this?

BOLTON: I’m glad the Israeli government has enough budget surplus that they can produce propaganda like that. The president has Israel back, the bonds are strong. What could possibly go wrong?

Watch the clip:

Israeli President Shimon Peres will give Obama the Presidential Medal of Distinction during his trip to Israel this week. As Bolton would have it, that’s probably a bogus gesture as well.

But the former Bush administration U.N. ambassador is a regular in the Obama-hates-Israel circuit, the presumption being of course that Bolton is more friendly to the Jewish state than Obama is. But apparently that friendship doesn’t go too far as there’s nothing like having a good buddy who calls you a liar on national television.

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Portman’s Support For Same-Sex Marriage And Why Respect For Equality Should Be A Basic Qualification For Office

Sen. Rob Portman’s (R-OH) evolution on the issue of marriage equality—from opponent to advocate—followed a deeply personal conversation he had with his son two years ago. It’s a conversation countless families must grapple with and a conversation that now underscores the disconnect between the head and the heart of conservatism’s view of marriage equality at a pivotal moment in the debate.

Though Portman’s experience is heartening, Americans must demand more from their leaders than public acknowledgement of private family truths. Portman, Vice President Dick Cheney, and the recent wave of prominent conservatives coming out in support of equality should be commended for demonstrating a commitment to family above the politics of the moment. Still, respecting equality under the law should be a basic qualification for office, not an epiphany a lawmaker experiences after recognizing that inequality hurts the people he loves and the millions of parents and children he serves.

The damage is caused largely by the anti-gay laws and policies that their party has championed for years. DOMA, for example, is a legislative reflection of the discrimination that forces hundreds of thousands of gay and lesbian children to remain hidden in the closet living in shame of who they are. DOMA is the reason that same-sex couples face a higher tax burden than their heterosexual counterparts, resulting in less income and higher poverty rates among the LGBT community. And DOMA demonstrates that LGBT people are still treated like second class citizens in a country that supposedly values equality and justice above all else.

In coming out, one of the most powerful lessons learned is that telling your story may make it easier for the next person. By coming out to loving parents, Portman’s son made it that much easier for others to do the same. In fact, his example clearly demonstrates the ways in which coming out to your friends and family can enrich their lives, and may change the lives of people you’ll never meet.

Last month, 131 prominent Republican politicians signed a brief calling on the Supreme Court to end DOMA and rule in support of marriage equality for same-sex couples. These Republicans have acknowledged what a strong majority of Americans already know: that there is no reason for a Washington bureaucrat to stand between LGBT Americans and the altar. While the degree to which Portman’s evolution will move his party forward is still uncertain, by sharing an honest love for his son and concern for his future, he will make it that much easier for others facing similar circumstances. Hopefully, Portman’s conversion will inspire lawmakers to recognize the damage their anti-equality policies are causing to their LGBT constituents before they realize the victims are their loved ones.

Jon Shields is a Special Assistant for the Communications team at the Center for American Progress Action Fund.

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Sen. McConnell touts support of Rand Paul filibuster in campaign email

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) touted his support for Sen. Rand Paul's (R-Ky.) filibuster last week of John Brennan's nomination for CIA director in a new campaign email on Monday.

"Thirteen hours on the Senate floor with no breaks. Thirteen hours of pushing back against an out of control Obama Administration who often refuses to work with or even acknowledge Congress," McConnell, who is up for reelection in 2014, said in the email, sent out to supporters. "Thirteen hours of capturing a nation's attention to both an important issue and an important new voice for our party."

On Wednesday Paul filibustered Brennan's nomination in order to pressure the Obama administration to answer questions about its drone policy. The filibuster lasted more than 12 hours and a number of Republican senators joined Paul. McConnell eventually came to the floor to praise Paul's effort to push the Obama administration to answer his questions.

"Rand stood in their way last week and I was thrilled to join him. But I stand in their way all too often for their tastes. So in addition to standing with Rand, I hope you'll help Team Mitch today," McConnell continues in the fundraising email.

President Obama and his congressional allies are "out" for Paul, McConnell added.

"You and I know that I am their number one target this year. They want me to pay for standing up to them. They want to control the agenda and the power in Congress," McConnell said.

McConnell said Obama has put a "target" on his back and is likely to start planning to push Paul out of the Senate as well.

"President Obama has put a huge target on my back and will no doubt soon start eyeing Rand as well," McConnell concludes in the email.

Among Democrats, actress Ashley Judd has signaled strong interest in challenging McConnell. Tea Partyer Matt Bevin is also considering a challenge to McConnell.

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Poll Finds 15-Point Drop In Dem Support For Health Law

Democratic support for President Obama's healthcare law has dropped 15 points since November, contributing to a rise in negative attitudes toward the reform, according to a new poll.

Opponents of the Affordable Care Act currently outnumber supporters (42 percent to 36), according to the Kaiser Family Foundation's latest tracking survey. Public opinion has switched back and forth since the law passed in 2010, and in November, support for the law was 4 percent higher than opposition (43 percent to 39). 

Kaiser attributed the marked slide in support among Democrats to a "post-presidential election fade." In November, 72 percent of that group expressed support for the law, compared with 57 percent who feel favorably toward it now.

Unaffiliated voters saw a similar but less dramatic decline in support, with 32 percent approving of the healthcare law compared with 37 percent in November.

"It's difficult to say whether this downward drop will last," Kaiser analysts wrote of the decline in overall support for the law. "Support seems to have shifted to the no-opinion category, up to nearly a quarter, a new high in Kaiser polling."

Obama's win in November cements the future of the Affordable Care Act. Implementation has begun in earnest in anticipation of 2014, when several major provisions will take effect.

Wednesday's poll was Kaiser's first effort since November to survey opinions on healthcare reform.

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Latest Polling Finds Strong Support For Clean Energy And Stricter Carbon Pollution Standards

Evidence of a striking shift in public opinion has begun to crystalize over the last few months: Poll after poll is finding staunch majorities of Americans view global warming as a “serious problem” and that human activity is a major driving cause.

In defiance of received Beltway wisdom, voters even told a recent Yale poll that a candidate’s views on global warming will affect their vote, and that the issue should be a top priority for the President and the Congress. Majorities have even stated that when it comes to deficit reduction, they prefer a tax on carbon emissions to cuts in education, Social Security, Medicare, or environmental protection.

Yesterday, Pew Research released new poll research that re-confirms the trend. When asked to choose between developing “alternative sources such as wind, solar and hydrogen” and expanding “exploration and production of oil, coal and natural” gas as their preferred priority for addressing America’s energy needs, 54 percent of Americans went with alternative energy. Only 34 percent chose continued prioritization of fossil fuels. That’s a drop from the 63 percent high in 2011, but an uptick over the 52 percent response last year.

Furthermore, Independents and Democrats were largely in concert, preferring alternative energy sources by 64 and 59 percent, respectively. Only 33 percent of Republicans went with solar and wind, in contrast to the 54 percent who preferred expanded fossil fuel use. But the distance between the two positions within the Republican group was smaller than the distance in the other two collections of voters.

And that wasn’t all. 62 percent of overall voters favored “setting stricter emission limits on power plants to address climate change,” with Democrats once again taking that position by a wide margin of 72 percent, and Independents coming in at a lower-but-still-impressive 64 percent. Republicans opposed the stricter standards by a 48 percent majority, but were again much more evenly split — the minority of GOP voters who favored the emissions limits close at the majority’s heels with 42 percent.

The age divide also stood out: Voters 18 to 29 supported alternative energy by a whopping 71 percent, and it wasn’t until voters crossed the age 65 that majorities flipped in favor of coal, oil and natural gas expansion.

And if the recent behavior and pronouncements of top lawmakers are any indication, this shift in the national mood is being felt. Newly minted Secretary of State John Kerry, who will shortly decide the fate of the Keystone XL pipeline, declared in his first big speech since his confirmation that, “We as a nation must have the foresight and courage to make the investments necessary to safeguard the most sacred trust we keep for our children and grandchildren: an environment not ravaged by rising seas, deadly superstorms, devastating droughts, and the other hallmarks of a dramatically changing climate.” President Obama came out swinging on the issue of climate change in both his Second Inaugural address and the State of the Union speech calling for new renewable electricity and energy efficiency targets, and warming that “if Congress won’t act soon to protect future generations [from climate change] I will.”

The latest signs from the White House are that Obama may very well use his executive authority to limit the carbon existing power plants may emit, on top of the regulations the Environmental Protection Agency is finalizing for new power plants.

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Presidential Memorandum -- Presidential Determination Regarding Drawdown Under Section 506 (a)(1) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as Amended, for Chad and France to Support Their Efforts in Mali

Manchin: 'I do not support an assault weapons ban'

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) said Monday that he opposes an assault weapons ban.

Speaking on MSNBC, Manchin, who has an "A" rating from the National Rifle Association and in December called for federal action to reduce gun violence, said he thinks there's a better way to reduce mass shootings without introducing new restrictions for gun owners.

"I do not support an assault weapon ban because the definition of assault weapon is still hard to come by," Manchin said. "So I am not going to comment on people's legislation. I do not support that approach right now."

Manchin is part of a quartet of legislators working to tighten background checks required to purchase a gun. The other members of the group are Sens. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), Mark Kirk (R-Ill.), and Tom Coburn (R-Okla.).

Manchin has been a prominent legislator in the debate on reducing gun violence that arose in the aftermath of the Sandy Hook shootings in December that resulted in 28 dead. Manchin, along with a number of other legislators, have called for action to reduce gun violence. He has previously stressed, however, that his call for action did not necessarily mean a call for banning guns.

"Everything has to be talked about. But you know what?…I'm not supporting a ban on anything. I'm supporting a conversation on everything," Manchin said in December to a local West Virginia radio station.

While both Republicans and Democrats have signaled an openness to new legislation aimed at reducing gun violence, lawmakers seem more divided over an assault weapons ban. President Obama has called for an assault weapons ban while critics say that restriction would go too far. Last month Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) formally introduced legislation reinstating an assault weapons ban. The last ban expired in 2004.

On Sunday Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) said he was "skeptical" of a new assault weapons ban.

"You can take exactly the same mechanics of a gun and change the stock from a wooden stock to a folding stock and put something on the barrel, and suddenly it meets the definition of an assault weapon," King said. "It doesn't shoot faster, further, anything else."

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Gallup: Key immigration-reform proposals hold broad support

Two immigration reform proposals — a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants and increased border security spending — have strong support among the public, a Gallup survey found Tuesday.

Seventy-two percent of those surveyed said illegal immigrants presently living in the U.S. should have an opportunity to acquire citizenship if they meet certain requirements, and 25 percent said they should not.

Sixty-eight percent also supported increased government spending on border security, while only 29 percent were opposed.

While there is some variation between Republicans and Democrats surveyed, both proposals enjoyed majority support from members of both parties.

Fifty-nine percent of Republicans said they supported a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants, versus 90 percent among Democrats. And on the question of increased spending on border security, 79 percent of Republicans said they supported the idea, compared to 64 percent of Democrats.

A bipartisan group of Senate lawmakers have proposed a framework that entails increased security measures at the border and a path to citizenship that doesn’t allow illegal immigrants to leapfrog immigrants who have already applied to come to the U.S. legally.

GOP leaders, including Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), have said they hope to act on immigration reform, but rank-and-file House Republicans are skeptical of proposals to grant citizenship, which they call “amnesty."

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Obama Administration’s New Birth Control Rules Already Gaining Support Among Catholic Leaders

On Friday, the Obama Administration announced updated regulations for its birth control rule that requires employer-based insurance plans to offer contraceptive services without a co-pay. The new rules address concerns from both Catholic groups and women’s health organizations — clarifying that women who work for religious employers will still be able to access no-cost birth control, while those religious nonprofit groups won’t have to directly finance the cost of contraceptives they oppose.

According to the updated regulation, insurers will provide separate, individual birth control coverage for the women who work at religiously-affiliated organizations, like Catholic hospitals and universities. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has issued a statement to say they “welcome” the new Obamacare regulations, and plan to comment further after a more thorough review of the rules. Other Catholic groups and theologians — including the right-leaning Catholic League — have already come out in support of the compromise, celebrating the new rules as an effective balance between religious concerns about contraception and women’s preventative health care:

– Bill Donahue, President of The Catholic League: “The rules proposed today by HHS appear to go a long way toward rectifying the most problematic provisions of the mandate… The decision to expand religious exemptions, and to adopt the IRS definition of a religious institution, is a sign of goodwill by the Obama administration toward the Catholic community.”

– James Salt, Executive Director of Catholics United: “This is a victory not only for the Obama Administration, but for the Catholic Church. As Catholics United said from the very beginning, reasonable people knew it was right to be patient and hopeful that all sides could come together to solve this complex issue. The White House deserves praise in alleviating the Church’s concerns.”

– Steve Schneck, Director of the Institute for Policy Research and Catholic Studies at Catholic University: The proposed rules are “an important win for religious institutions.”

– Thomas Reese, Senior Fellow at Georgetown University’s Woodstock Theological Center: “HHS and the administration have gone out of their way to resolve the concerns of religious institutions that object to covering contraceptives in their insurance programs.”

– John Gehring, Catholic Program Director at Faith in Public Life: “This is a strong signal that the administration is responsive to the concerns of Catholic institutions. The values of protecting women’s health and the conscience rights of religious employers should not be in conflict. Those who demonize this president for being hostile to religion should drop the reckless rhetoric.”

Nonetheless, far-right critics of the birth control measure have shown no signs of ceasing their war against Obamacare, even though a majority of Americans — including Catholics — support eliminating the cost barriers to contraceptive coverage. Right-wing opponents have already blasted the compromise, saying “no amount of revisions will ever render the HHS mandate acceptable. “

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POLL: 57 Of Rhode Islanders Support Marriage Equality

A new Public Policy Polling poll has found that 57 percent of Rhode Island voters approve marriage equality while only 36 percent do not. The poll also found that 31 percent prefer civil unions over marriage, but civil unions have not been successful in Rhode Island since they passed in 2011. Only 13 percent oppose any legal recognition of same-sex couples. The most recent poll, from October, similarly found a majority support for equality, with a 56-36 split. Despite the broad support, it’s unclear how soon or swiftly Senate Democrats will act now that the marriage equality bill has passed the House.

The Rhode Island State Council of Churches voted to endorse marriage equality today, calling it an issue of “social justice, civil rights, and conscience.”  

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POLL: Majority In Hawaii Support Marriage Equality

A new poll from Equality Hawai’i shows that a majority of Hawai’i voters favor marriage equality, with 55 percent in support and only 37 percent opposed. Among voters under 35 years of age, support soars to 64-32, though even voters over the age of 50 support the change 53-38. Marriage equality bills were introduced in both chamber’s of Hawai’i's legislature last week.

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Democratic Senator: ‘We Do Have Support’ For An Assault Weapons Ban

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) pledged to include an assault weapons ban in any legislation designed to improve gun safety and insisted, during an appearance on CNN’s State of the Union Sunday, that “we do have support” for such a provision.

The California Democrat, who introduced legislation banning 150 assault weapons earlier this week, conceded that the ban would present an “uphill fight,” but said that Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has promised that she could introduce the proposal as an amendment should it not be included in the comprehensive gun safety bill that advances to the Senate floor:

FEINSTEIN: This has been an uphill fight. This has never been easy. This is the hardest of the hard. Now, will it only be assault weapons? No. Most likely there will be a package put together. If assault weapons is left out of the package and I’m a member of the Judiciary number two in seniority. I’ve been assured by the Majority Leader I will be able to do it as an amendment on the floor. Which is the way I did it in 1993. So that doesn’t particularly bother me. [...]

Do military style assault weapons belong on the streets of our cities? And the answer, according to the United States Conference of Mayors, according to the major chiefs of police, according to the largest police organization in the world, is absolutely no. So we do have support. Don’t mistake it.

Feinstein attributed the tepid support for a ban in the Senate to the National Rifle Association, which she called “venal” and said will come after Senators and “put large amounts of money together to defeat you.”

The senator also agreed that armed security may help prevent school shootings, noting that “one-third of the schools in America today have school guards.” But, she insisted, “having school guards really isn’t the whole answer. The more you have these weapons, these military style weapons that with the single stock of the AR-15 can be made fully automatic, the minute you have it in the Sandy Hook killer’s hands, you have a devastating weapon.”

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POLL: Growing Plurality Of Minnesotans Support Marriage Equality

Gov. Mark Dayton (D-MN)

A new PPP poll of Minnesotans shows a plurality now supports marriage equality, by a 47 to 45 margin. Fully 75 percent of Minnesotans (including 65 percent of Republicans) back at least allowing civil unions. PPP estimates that given the trend and the age demographics, a majority Minnesotans will likely support marriage equality by the next election.

In November, Minnesotans defeated a marriage inequality constitutional amendment, proposed by the then-Republican majorities in the state’s House and Senate, by a 51-47 margin. At the same time, voters elected new Democratic Farm Labor (Minnesota’s Democratic Party) majorities in both chambers.

Armed with the popular mandate from November’s elections, supporters of marriage equality plan to push a bill to grant same-sex couples the right to marry in Minnesota in the next few months. Gov. Mark Dayton (D) has pledged to sign the bill if it reaches his desk.

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Sen. Leahy voices support for key proposals in Obama's gun-control plan

Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) voiced support for many of the key proposals in President Obama's plan on curbing gun violence in an interview on C-SPAN's "Newsmakers" program, including closing the so-called gun show loophole and having criminal background checks for all guns sales.

"You can't say, well the rules apply to you and not to you," Leahy said on the program, which is set to air on Sunday. "So I think the first thing you might want to do is close the gun show loophole."

Leahy, whose committee has jurisdiction over changes to gun laws, also called for legislation that would require a "real background check" when people attempt to purchase firearms.

"There's not a way to compare records, felony records," he said. "Let's close that so you can say to everybody, the rules, whatever rules we have, will apply the same to everyone."

The Senate Judiciary chairman said the committee is holding hearings this month on the issue of gun control and he has invited National Rifle Association CEO Wayne LaPierre to appear before the committee. Leahy emphasized that he's the first committee chair in either chamber of Congress to schedule a hearing that examines gun-control rules. 

"I want to have real hearings. We're going to hear from people on all sides of the issue and then see if we come out with something," Leahy said. "You have to balance your Second Amendment rights with people's safety, and as a gun owner, I understand that."

"It's kind of lonely out there," he added. "I'm the only one having hearings."

During these hearings, Leahy said he hopes to get a "definitive answer" on whether the previous assault weapons ban worked. While he voted for the ban, he noted: "I'm not looking for something symbolic, I'm looking for something that makes people safer."

Leahy also voiced support for Obama's proposal to limit the size of ammunition magazines sold.

"The idea of having a weapon, say with a 30-round magazine, for civilian use, I mean that's a weapon you'd use in war," he said.  "I don't see a need for it in civilian use."

Leahy refrained from sharing too many specifics about his legislative strategy on gun control, but said he wanted to collect ideas from other members and find areas of agreement.

"Let's see how much we can agree to put in one bill...and then if people agree or disagree to different parts, we'll vote it up or vote it down," he said.

The president has also called for Congress to appropriate $10 million to the Centers for Disease Control to study gun violence, including possible links to video games and media images. Leahy, who is viewed as having close ties to the entertainment industry, said Congress likely will not pass legislation aimed at reducing violence in video games, movies and TV shows.

"There's nothing glamorous about somebody being killed. I worry that people glamorize this in movies or games, but they do have their First Amendment rights," Leahy said. "The issue has been raised. We'll ask about it."

"I don't see a law that's going to ban these things… but there has to be more awareness that parents have a responsibility to say, 'By the way, just what are you watching there?'" he said.

Leahy's committee will also be busy with another hot-button topic this year: immigration reform. The White House has signaled that passing comprehensive immigration reform is one of its top priorities this year. The Senate Judiciary Committee is gearing up for what's expected to be a long battle on the divisive issue.

Leahy stressed that he wants to get a comprehensive immigration bill done this year.

"We've got to do something. You've got to face the reality of 12 million undocumented people in this country," he said.

Without these immigrants, Leahy added that "a whole lot of our businesses would shut down."

"A lot of things would grind to a halt, but worse than that, a lot of families would be destroyed," he said.

In the interview, Leahy noted that his grandparents and great-grandparents came to the U.S. from Italy and Ireland. He questioned whether they would be able to immigrate to the U.S. under the country's current rules.

"There's a small segment of this country that's become very xenophobic and they tend to forget that they're probably only one or two or three generations from somebody coming to this country," he said.

Still, Leahy acknowledged that his committee will face challenges when crafting a bill. He said it would be "helpful" if the president sent the committee legislative language to work from.

"A path to citizenship is easy to say. The devil is in the details, but let's agree that there should be a path to citizenship, and then work out the way to do it," he said.

When asked about Speaker John Boehner's (R-Ohio) recent comments on the Senate's failure to pass a budget in nearly four years, Leahy said he and Boehner have been "long-time friends, but maybe you might want to get your own house in order before you tell us how to run ours."

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Obama gathering online support for gun violence plan

By Alicia M. Cohn - 01/17/13 12:33 PM ET

President Obama on Thursday is promoting a new page for Americans to express their support of the president’s plan to reduce gun violence.

Stand with the President to reduce gun violence: OFA.BO/STKzAr, twitter.com/BarackObama/st…

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) Jan. 17, 2013

The page, which asks signers to give their email address and name if they agree with the plan that Obama announced on Wednesday, is hosted on Obama’s campaign website and is part of a full-court press by the administration to publicize the plan and drum up public support. According to a tweet from Jim Messina, the campaign manager for Obama's reelection campaign, “thousands” have already signed.

Messina also sent out an email to Obama’s still-robust campaign list on Thursday directing them to the petition, according to CNN.

Obama is looking to the public for support in his aggressive plan to tackle gun violence this year, building on momentum of the public outcry following the particularly brutal mass shooting in a Newtown, Conn., elementary school that left 20 children dead. Petitions have become a popular way for the public to express opinions on the issue.

A petition asking Obama to "immediately address the issue of gun control through the introduction of legislation in Congress" was the fastest petition ever to reach the required signature threshold for an official White House response on the White House’s petition site "We the People" last month. According to the White House, gun violence quickly became one of the most popular petition issues since the launch of the site, where anyone can start a petition in hopes of reaching the ears of the president.

Obama, in his response to the petitions, urged the public to stay motivated and keep pushing for action against gun violence. He made similar comments in his presentation of a comprehensive plan on Wednesday, looking for the public to help amp up the pressure on Congress to act on a series of legislative requests.

"This will not happen unless the American people demand it," Obama said Wednesday.

"I will put everything I've got into this, and so will Joe," Obama said, referring to Vice President Biden, whom Obama appointed to lead a task force on gun control. 

"But I tell you, the only way we can change is if the American people demand it. And by the way, that doesn’t just mean from certain parts of the country. We're going to need voices in those areas, in those congressional districts, where the tradition of gun ownership is strong to speak up and to say this is important.”

The page asking for email addresses and zip codes will likely serve a two-fold purpose to bolster Obama’s argument that a majority of Americans representing a wide swath of the country agree with his plan -- which includes legislation and 23 “executive actions” addressing guns, mental healthcare and violence in media -- and replenish his mailing list with known supporters. 

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The Five Gun Safety Laws That Gun Owners Support

Vice President Joe Biden is slated to deliver his suggestions for a series of gun violence prevention measures to the President today. Most likely, stronger gun regulations will be among the measures Biden proposes. And while the gun lobby may argue that such laws are out of step with the opinions of gun owners, a new Washington Post-ABC News poll shows that people who have a firearm in their home actually support a lot of gun safety measures.

Here are the top five gun laws that most gun owners would like to see:

1. Universal background checks. The poll found that a huge majority of gun owners — 86 percent — would like to see every single person who wants to purchase a firearm go through a background check. Currently, the so-called ‘gun show loophole’ allows some purchasers (those who buy used guns and those who buy at gun shows) to forgo a background check, setting up a system where criminals can easily purchase weapons.

2. Background checks for ammunition purchasing. As the law currently stands, ammunition can be purchased in bulk online with absolutely no background check. This is how mass murderer James Holmes was able to stockpile so much ammunition without anyone noticing. Seventy six percent of gun owners surveyed by the Washington Post want to see this law changed by instituting background checks for buying ammunition.

3. Ban on extended magazines. Extended magazine clips have been a focus of the recent gun law debate. Such clips, when used in mass killings, prove exceptionally deadly since, paired with an assault weapon, the gunman rarely has to stop and reload. Adam Lanza, the gunman responsible for the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, used extended clips, as did Holmes. There’s no reason why a clip with more than is necessary to hunt, or for self protection, and 55 percent of gun owners want to see them outlawed.

4. Gun database. The United States already has a database of those who cannot buy guns — the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, NICS — but has much weaker methods of tracking the guns sold in the United States. Sixty two percent of gun owners like the idea of a database of guns purchases, so that the government has some handle on how many guns are out there. There have been reports that such a database, and a database of gun violence, might be among Biden’s suggestions.

5. Assault weapons ban. There’s not quite a majority of gun owners who support an assault weapons ban, but at 45 percent popularity, it’s close to tied between those who support and those who oppose. An assault weapons ban would block military-grade weapons, like those used by Lanza and Holmes, from sale on the public market. There’s evidence that such bans reduce the number of firearms deaths.

The support for each of these measures demonstrates that the gun lobby is out of step with everyday gun owners. NRA representatives insist that Congress won’t pass ammunition clip bans, for example, and say that background checks are “unnecessary” and expensive. But even NRA members support more regulations on guns than the lobby would like to indicate.

And members of Congress will soon have an opportunity to stand with the gun owners who support these stronger gun laws. Eight bills have already been introduced in the House that deal with these issues, and more are likely to be introduced after Biden presents the findings of his task force to President Obama.

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