The Political Chase

Reid Stops Coburn Bill Allowing Guns on Public Land

From Roll Call (subscription):

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has backed out of a formal unanimous consent agreement to move a public lands bill, charging that Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) was using the deal to turn the bill into an election-year effort to score political points against Democrats.

Under the Dec. 19 UC, Reid agreed to allow Coburn to have five amendments to The National Forests, Parks, Public Land and Reclamation Projects Authorization Act of 2007 considered on the floor, after which the chamber would vote on the full bill. Coburn had blocked the bill for much of last year because of concerns over the legislation’s costs. The agreement did not specify which amendments would be allowed or what topics could be addressed by Coburn’s proposals, only that they be germane, according to floor transcripts found in the Congressional Record.

But what Reid did not know at the time was that Coburn planned to use one of his five amendment slots to insert language allowing national parks visitors to be armed. While Coburn and his staff, citing data showing increasing rates of violent crimes on national parks, insist the amendment is needed, it also would serve as something of poison pill, since Democrats almost certainly would want to avoid having a gun-rights fight during an election year.