Senate Republicans stop proposed bump stock ban after Supreme Court ruling

Senate Republicans on Tuesday stopped an attempted ban on bump stocks being used on semi-automatic guns, which would make them more dangerous because it increases the speed that shots are fired.

The Supreme Court overturned the Trump-era ban on the accessory in a 6-3 vote last week, claiming the device did not make the semi-automatic weapons into machine guns because it does not give rifles the ability to fire multiple shots with just one press of the trigger. The ban was originally passed in 2017, after a shooter used it in the Las Vegas massacre.

The bill, which was first introduced last year, was brought up for a voice vote by unanimous consent, but was blocked by GOP Sen. Pete Ricketts from Nebraska.

“Welcome to another day in the Democrat summer of show votes,” Ricketts said, according to The Hill. “This bill may be called the BUMP Act, but it’s not really about bump stocks. This bill is about banning as many firearm accessories as possible and giving ATF broad authority to ban most semiautomatic firearms."

New Mexico Sen. Martin Heinrich, a Democrat who created the legislation alongside bipartisan Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada, said there is no defense for bump stocks. 

“There is no legitimate use for a bump stock. Not for self-defense. Not for law enforcement. Not even in military applications as they are less accurate than a standard fully automatic military platform,” Heinrich said. “What they are tailor-made for is a mass shooting.”

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who encouraged Senate Republicans to pass the ban, has not indicated whether he will bring the legislation for a full floor vote in the future.

Misty Severi is an evening news reporter for Just the News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.