Twelve Republican senators have joined Sen. Rand Paul in threatening to filibuster a vote on any new gun restrictions,
Politico reports.
In March, Sens. Paul of Kentucky, Ted Cruz of Texas, and Mike Lee of Utah sent a nearly identical letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid warning him that they planned to filibuster if Reid attempts to push through proposed gun control legislation, including expanded background checks.
Reid is expected to bring the legislation to the Senate floor in the next two weeks.
Politico obtained a copy of a letter that Paul intends to send on Monday to Reid. That letter is signed by 13 Republican senators, including Sens. Marco Rubio of Florida and Jerry Moran of Kansas, the publication reports.
The letter, according to Politico, repeats Paul’s original promise “to oppose any legislation that would infringe on the American people’s constitutional right to bear arms, or their ability to exercise this right without being subjected to government surveillance.”
While the Republican senators may try to filibuster the Senate as Paul did in March, Reid has a new Senate rule that he may invoke, which would limit such a move.
Reid can limit the filibuster by promising each party to two amendments to the bill. The Republican senators would still be allowed to voice their opinions, but they would not be able to prevent debate.
Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina is the only Republican senator that has come out so far saying that he would not support a filibuster if the floor amendments are allowed.
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