Desertdog
Member
I really doubt it was the law abiding citizens that was shooting at them.During the rescue and response after Hurricane Katrina police officers and first responders had to pull back from rescuing victims because they were being shot at by snipers.
U.S. Senate Bids to Ban Emergency Gun Confiscation
But one prominent Democrat, among others, is opposed
http://www.officer.com/article/article.jsp?siteSection=1&id=31738
Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-MA) charges a Republican-backed amendment that prohibits the confiscation of guns during an emergency puts police officers and first responders in danger. The amendment, sponsored by Sen. David Vitter (R-LA), was added to the Homeland Security appropriations bill during a July 13 Senate vote.
During the rescue and response after Hurricane Katrina police officers and first responders had to pull back from rescuing victims because they were being shot at by snipers. The amendment "prohibits the confiscation of a firearm during an emergency or major disaster if the possession of such firearm is not prohibited under Federal or State law."
Kennedy accuses the Republican leadership of backing "another special-interest, anti-law enforcement measure that strips away the rights of law enforcement to respond to public safety emergencies."
Kennedy also accuses the National Rifle Association of setting the Senate's Republican agenda. "This proposal is part of the NRA's nationwide campaign to target the nation's Mayors and Police Chiefs. With fear tactics and inflammatory rhetoric, the NRA is looking for pledges that the people protecting our communities will never confiscate a weapon during a natural disaster. The NRA's perverse response to the devastating tragedy caused by Hurricane Katrina has been to launch an aggressive fund-raising campaign to undermine the very law enforcement and public safety officials who protect us during times of crisis," Kennedy says in a prepared statement.
But Republicans were not the only backers of the amendment. Several key Democrats also voted in favor of the provision. Democratic Sens. Robert Byrd (WV), Barack Obama (IL), Ben Nelson (NE), Bill Nelson (FL), John Rockefeller IV (WV), Evan Bay (IN), Jeff Bingaman (NM), Russ Feingold (WI), Patty Murray (WA), Joseph Biden (DE), Patrick Leahy (VT), Joseph Lieberman (CT) and Mary Landrieu (LA) all voted in favor of the amendment.