Even though their approval rating already rivals that of Game of Thrones’ Ramsay Bolton, it has been a particularly embarrassing week for members of Congress. Just days after a 29-year-old shooter slaughtered 49 people at a nightclub in Orlando, the upper chamber of the nation’s legislative body—where deliberation and reason are presumed to lead the day—failed to advance any of the four proposals intended on making it harder (however incrementally) for terrorists to buy the weapons they use for mass destruction. (The chamber is still deliberating a modest compromise proposal.)
Because the weapons in question are assault rifles, the legislation became snarled in political tripwire, set mostly by the NRA. A new CNN/ORC poll released this week shows public support for similar gun-control measures is so broad that it’s nearly unanimous:
…Support for specific gun control measures was very strong, with 92% saying they wanted expanded background checks, 87% supporting a ban for felons or people with mental health problems and 85% saying they would ban people on federal watchlists from buying guns.
Most of the resistance—though not all—came from Republican senators, and even they were at odds with their constituents:
Among Republicans, that number is even higher -- 90% say they favor preventing people on the terror watch list or "no fly" list from buying a gun. That number is at 85% for Democrats.
Many, including those in the executive branch, feel the legislative branch has failed the country.