Democrats: Keep guns out of spending bills

House Democrats on Thursday vowed to fight any attempt by Republicans to tuck gun provisions into government spending bills.

“Gun violence reduction and prevention is an important and sensitive issue,” a group of more than 100 House Democrats wrote in a letter to Speaker John Boehner. “Given the renewed national focus on gun violence prevention, now is not the time to include controversial appropriations riders that negatively impact gun laws.”

{mosads}Lawmakers often include what are known as appropriations riders in government spending bills. The riders often specify what requirements federal agencies must follow to obtain funding, and often bar money from being spent on specific programs or regulations.

In past years, Republicans have used appropriations riders to block law enforcement agencies from issuing new gun regulations. 

Democrats say gun proposals should be introduced as stand-alone legislation so that lawmakers have a better opportunity to debate them.

“Instead, such changes to gun policy must be seriously and properly considered by Congress through the regular order,” the lawmakers wrote.

“This must be done in an open and transparent process where a full range of options can be frankly discussed and debated by the proper committees of authorizing jurisdiction and the entire House.”

Reps. Mike Thompson (D-Calif.) and Elizabeth Esty (D-Conn.), both leaders of the House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, initiated the letter. Rep. Pete King (N.Y.) was the only Republican to sign on.