House Sends Bill to President that Would Protect Gun Industry from Lawsuits
WASHINGTON, Oct. 20-The House passed a bill on Thursday that would grant the gun industry immunity from most civil lawsuits. Because the Senate approved the bill in July, the measure will go directly to President George W. Bush, who is expected to sign it into law.
“A gun manufacturer should not be held liable for a crime committed with their product,” said Rep. Charles Bass (R-N.H.), who voted for the legislation. “Neither should a knife or baseball bat manufacturer be liable for those kinds of damages.”
The Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act passed , 283-144, with 59 Democrats joining 223 Republicans and 1 Independent.
The bill was part of a larger effort by House and Senate Republicans to pass several lawsuit abuse reform measures and was preceded by House approval a day earlier of a bill to protect the food service industry from lawsuits in obesity-related claims.
“There is a general understanding that this is an overly litigious society,” Bass said. “We have to protect these business owners from overzealous trial lawyers.”
The National Rifle Association, which has contributed more than $30,000 to Bass’ reelection campaigns, has fervently backed the gun legislation from the beginning, according to Sam Cohen, spokesman for Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms and a board member of Gun Owners of New Hampshire, a state affiliate of the National Rifle Association.
“It was obvious to anybody that these lawsuits are what lawyers call frivolous and laymen call dishonest,” he said. “It makes no more sense that suing General Motors if a kid gets drunk and runs over somebody with a Chevy.”
Zach Ragbourn, a spokesman for the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, attributed the passage of the bill to the Rifle Association’s powerful lobbying tactics and said some lawmakers were missing the point.
“It was the number one priority of a powerful lobbying group who took it behind closed doors,” he said. “It is not a question of holding gun manufactures responsible for a criminal’s actions. It is about holding them responsible for their own behavior that can contribute to a crime. We are not asking them to go on trial for murder, but we are asking that they be held accountable if they are negligent.”
The bill does not grant the gun industry immunity from all lawsuits and makes exceptions for the illegal distribution of weapons or the sale of defective products.
“These lawsuits impose unreasonable burdens on interstate commerce in firearms and ammunition and can have a significant economic impact on this industry,” said Rep. Jeb Bradley (R-N.H.) in a press release. “We should be focusing on the perpetrators who commit crimes with firearms, rather than lawsuits directed against gun manufacturers, which will only restrict the rights of law-abiding citizens.”
Though both chambers have approved the bill, the Brady Campaign has no plans to stop fighting the legislation, according to Ragbourn.
“We hope the President will recognize that the bill is not in the interest of the public and is only in the interest of a very wealthy few,” he said. “But there are many ways in which to fight this bill, and if it becomes law, we will investigate ways to fight it on constitutional grounds.”
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