Will Today's Senate Judiciary Vote on Feinstein Gun Ban Be the Last?

The Senate Judiciary Committee is set to vote along party lines to advance Senator Diane Feinstein's bill to ban modern sporting rifles but it is possible that it will be the last vote.  The AP notes:

There are 53 Democrats plus two independents who generally side with them. Republicans seem ready to oppose the ban overwhelmingly, and Feinstein can't count on a half-dozen Democrats from Republican-leaning states who face re-election next year.

That means that it will likely not muster the 60 votes required to get a vote and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid may be happy with that so he can protect his most vulnerable members ahead of the 2014 mid-term election.

The main threat has always been criminalizing private firearm sales.  This is where we must focus our energy in the coming month when Senator Chuck Schumer's bill may come to the floor.