Raskin Lists Private-Sale Background Checks Among Judiciary Committee Priorities

Democrat Jamie Raskin, expected to chair the House Judiciary Committee in the next Congress, said background checks on private gun sales would be among his priorities, LifeZette reports. The outlet's piece casts the plan as a threat to gun rights and gathers reaction from critics.

Key points

• The role: On Tuesday, according to the report, Raskin edged closer to the chairmanship, which would make him the first Marylander to hold it in nearly 200 years.
• Gun proposal: He said he wants a law extending background checks to private sales, not just purchases from licensed dealers.
• Other plans: Raskin also said he would take a hard look at antitrust deals and might seek to impeach President Donald Trump again.
• Republican objections: Republicans have argued such a law would put needless restrictions on hobbyists, people selling to friends and owners selling guns from personal collections.
• Advocacy response: On Nov. 5, the National Association for Gun Rights described Raskin's plan as "universal gun registration" and said Democrats "aren't waiting."

Quick take

The LifeZette piece argues that requiring checks on private sales would in effect create a gun registry that could lead to confiscation, and it calls the approach unconstitutional. The piece also quotes critics on social media, including Kostas Moros, who contrasted the gun plan with the affordability concerns Democrats had put before voters.

Read the full story at LifeZette.