8th Democratic Primary Debate: on Gun Control


Bernie Sanders: 2005: Allow suing gun manufacturers for negligence

Joe Biden said Sanders voted to allow gun manufactures to not be sued. But the law that Sanders originally supported does allow lawsuits in some cases.

Biden said, "The biggest mistake that Sen. Sanders made, he voted to give the gun manufacturers a loophole that does not allow them to be sued for the crimes they have created."

Sanders voted in favor of the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act of 2005, which largely protects licensed manufacturers & firearms dealers from civil lawsuits over the misuse of guns or ammunition. But the legislation included six exceptions where civil suits could still be brought. The exceptions include cases in which a firearm seller acted with negligence, cases involving the transfer of a firearm with the knowledge that it would be used to commit a crime, and cases of sales in violation of state or federal law.

A decade later, Sanders switched positions and signed on as a cosponsor of an unsuccessful bill that sought to repeal the law he helped enact.

Source: FactCheck.org on 8th Democrat 2020 primary debate Feb 8, 2020

Bernie Sanders: Changed views on gun control due to epidemic of gun violence

I lost a race for Congress, because in 1988 I said we should ban the sale and distribution of assault weapons. I am proud that today I have a D- voting record from the NRA. Under my administration it will be the American people doing gun policy, not the NRA. In Vermont until the last two years ago, we had no gun control legislation and I represented that perspective. The world has changed. People are sickened by mass shootings and gun violence. The world has changed, and my views have changed.
Source: 8th Democrat 2020 primary debate, St. Anselm College in NH Feb 7, 2020

Elizabeth Warren: Approach gun violence as a public health emergency

We have a gun violence problem. It is about the shootings we hear about in schools, theaters and churches. It's about shootings that occur in playgrounds. It's about the increasing lethality of suicide because of the availability of guns. It is about the increased chances that it's a woman who will die of domestic violence if she is with a violent man and a gun is in the home. We need to think of this problem like we did on auto safety. We treat it like the public health emergency that it is.
Source: 8th Democrat 2020 primary debate, St. Anselm College in NH Feb 7, 2020

Joe Biden: I pushed Brady Bill when other Dems voted against it

I come from a state that's a major gun owning state. I introduced the first assault weapons ban. I in fact got it passed. I'm the only guy that beat the NRA twice. While I was pushing the Brady Background Bill to check background checks, Bernie voted five times against that when he was in the House.
Source: 8th Democrat 2020 primary debate, St. Anselm College in NH Feb 7, 2020

  • The above quotations are from Feb. 7, 2020- Democratic Debate (8th Debate).
  • Click here for definitions & background information on Gun Control.
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  • Click here for more quotes by Mike Bloomberg on Gun Control.
  • Click here for more quotes by Deval Patrick on Gun Control.
2020 Presidential contenders on Gun Control:
  Democrats running for President:
Sen.Michael Bennet (D-CO)
V.P.Joe Biden (D-DE)
Mayor Mike Bloomberg (I-NYC)
Gov.Steve Bullock (D-MT)
Mayor Pete Buttigieg (D-IN)
Sen.Cory Booker (D-NJ)
Secy.Julian Castro (D-TX)
Gov.Lincoln Chafee (L-RI)
Rep.John Delaney (D-MD)
Rep.Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI)
Sen.Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
Gov.Deval Patrick (D-MA)
Sen.Bernie Sanders (I-VT)
CEO Tom Steyer (D-CA)
Sen.Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)
Marianne Williamson (D-CA)
CEO Andrew Yang (D-NY)

2020 Third Party Candidates:
Rep.Justin Amash (L-MI)
CEO Don Blankenship (C-WV)
Gov.Lincoln Chafee (L-RI)
Howie Hawkins (G-NY)
Gov.Gary Johnson(L-NM)
Howard Schultz(I-WA)
Gov.Jesse Ventura (I-MN) 		Republicans running for President:
Sen.Ted Cruz(R-TX)
Gov.Larry Hogan (R-MD)
Gov.John Kasich(R-OH)
V.P.Mike Pence(R-IN)
Gov.Mark Sanford (R-SC)
Pres.Donald Trump(R-NY)
Rep.Joe Walsh (R-IL)
Gov.Bill Weld(R-MA & L-NY)

2020 Withdrawn Democratic Candidates:
Sen.Stacey Abrams (D-GA)
Mayor Bill de Blasio (D-NYC)
Sen.Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)
Sen.Mike Gravel (D-AK)
Sen.Kamala Harris (D-CA)
Gov.John Hickenlooper (D-CO)
Gov.Jay Inslee (D-WA)
Mayor Wayne Messam (D-FL)
Rep.Seth Moulton (D-MA)
Rep.Beto O`Rourke (D-TX)
Rep.Tim Ryan (D-CA)
Adm.Joe Sestak (D-PA)
Rep.Eric Swalwell (D-CA)
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Page last updated: Mar 23, 2020