This is Your Representative on Guns

@YourRepsOnGuns - Recent tweets from representatives about guns

By Michael Keller, Eliza Shapiro, Abby Haglage, Caitlin Dickson, Brian Abelson and Luke Kerr-Dineen. | Feb 11, 2013

UPDATE 4/18: This week, the Senate rejected legislation that would have tightened background checks on gun purchases.

Many saw the vote on background checks, a step supported by some 90 percent of Americans, as the only chance at real reform. How did the Senate vote go down, and will the House take up the cause? We've updated our tracker to include how the Senate voted.

What do your elected representatives think about guns-and how are they likely to vote on upcoming gun-control legislation?

To help clarify a complex state of play, The Daily Beast has created a tool that classifies every member of Congress according to their stance on gun control, based on our best assessment of publicly available information: statements, voting records, ratings from both the National Rifle Association and the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, and dollar contributions from the gun lobby.

Use this as a scorecard to follow as individual bills are debated, and as a quick way to make your voice heard. Have feedback? Heard from your rep lately? Send us an email at: NewsBeastLabs@gmail.com.

Sources: Census.gov, NRA, The New York Times, Project Vote Smart, Sunlight Foundation, and The Daily Beast research.

Overview

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Example filters: Close call in the Senate, Republican women oppose reform, MA unanimously supports reform

Note: Although he is a support of the amendment, Harry Reid voted a procedural "No" so that he may bring up the bill later.

Updates & news:
• 4-17: The Senate failed to pass the Manchin-Toomey amendment on background checks by 6 votes. The vote was 54-46 and needed 60 pass.
• 4-17: In a reversal, Harry Reid said today that he is in favor of a ban on assault weapons ban and will be voting for one today. We're moving him from Opposes reform to Supports reform. The Senate is voting on a number of amendments that could strengthen or severly weaken the bill, effectively killing it. We also moved McCain and Tester from Opposes reform to Swing since they expressed support for the Manchin-Toomey amendment but it's unclear whether they will vote for the gun package if the amendment fails.
• 4-11: The Senate voted 68-31 to move forward on what is now known as the Safe Communities, Safe Schools Act of 2013. Mark Pryor, Rob Portman and Mike Johanns, who we previously had as Unclear and Swing votes voted against the bill. Consequently, we're moving them to Opposes reform. On the other side, former gun-rights supporter Martin Heinrich issued a statement supporting the bill so we're moving him from Opposes reform to Supports reform.
• 4-10: Joe Manchin and Pat Toomey released statements and an amendment to the Senate bill today that is in favor expanded background checks yet stops short of making them universal and is against a ban on high-capacity magazines and other proposed reforms. We're moving them from Supports reform and Opposes reform, respectively to Swing. Also, following a letter a reader received from Bill Foster, we're moving him from Unclear to Swing. We've also updated reader-submitted letters from Bill Nelson, John Mica, Debbie Stabenow, Claire McCaskill and Marco Rubio
• 4-9: After review, we're moving Bernie Sanders, Michael Bennet, Mazie Hirono, and Al Franken to Supports reform as well as Dan Coats and Orrin Hatch to Opposes reform from Unclear and Swing. Hover over their names or use the "Changed stance" filter above on the right for details.
• 4-8: After reviewing reader emails, we're moving Pennsylvania Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick from Opposes reform to Supports reform after he came out as a House sponsor on straw-purchasing legislation. And we're moving North Carolina Senator Kay Hagan from Opposes reform to Swing after she her office told the North Carolina News & Record that her vote on a gun bill would depend on the details.
• 3-19: Majority leader Harry Reid excluded the assault weapon ban from the bill that the Senate will take up next month.
• 3-14: A bill to ban assault weapons, backed by Dianne Feinstein, passed through the Senate Judiciary Committee, also along party lines. The Senate is expected to take up these bills next month and this bill in particular will see much opposition.
• 3-12: Chuck Schumer's bill to require federal background checks for nearly all gun purchases passed the Senate Judiciary Committee. The vote was 10-8 with all Democrats in favor and all Republicans oppossed. Update 2: A bill with bipartisan support also passed the committee, aiming to strengthen security in schools.
• 3-11: Pat Meehan, Republican from Pennsylvania, introduced a similar gun trafficking and straw purchasing bill in the House in February and Susan Collins, Republican from Maine, is one of the senators who introduced the Senate bill. We're moving them from Opposes reform to Supports reform.
• 3-6: After sifting through reader-submitted emails and hundreds of representatives' tweets, we've moved Leonard Lance, Republican from New Jersey, Brian Higgins, Democrat from New York, Scott Rigell, Republican from Virginia, and Joe Manchin, Democrat from West Virginia to the Support reform category. Select the "Changed stance" filter to see them. Hover for details.
• 3-6: A bipartisan group of senators introduced legislation on Monday, March 4th to combat straw purchasing - buying a gun for someone else - and gun trafficking. The Senate Judiciary Committee will discuss the bill Thursday, March 7th. David Frum writes that the bill represents "baby steps" toward substantive reform. UPDATE 3-7: The bill passed the committee and the Senate will take it up in April, but its fate is uncertain.
• 2-15: A reader sent in a local news report on Michael Grimm, Republican of New York, voicing his support for gun restrictions "if it helps with healing" from Newtown. We're moving him from Opposes reform to Supports reform.

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Summary

Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence Rating (0-100)?Scores are from the Brady Campaign 1991 to 2009 Lifetime Score for the Senate and the 1988 to 2008 Lifetime Score for the House. A higher score indicates a pro-gun control stance. Not all representatives have a score.

NRA Grade?An 'AQ' grade may appear if a representative does not have a voting record but they answered an NRA questionnaire.

Stance?A Daily Beast calculation taking into account their voting record, recent statements and NRA and Brady ratings.

Details