The first major bill scheduled for a vote when the Senate returns from its July 4th recess next week would let dozens of gun manufacturers off the hook in lawsuits against them particularly companies that make Saturday Night Specials and assault weapons, according to a new Violence Policy Center report released today. The overall bill, which places wide-ranging limits on product liability lawsuits, is the result of a compromise between its Senate sponsors and the White House. If the Senate passes the legislation, it is expected to be approved by the House and signed by the President this year. The report provides background on a sampling of these companies, including their production figures and pictures of their weapons. The legislation already includes a similar exemption for tobacco.
Early whip counts on the amendment project a very close vote.
The courtroom is the only place left to get compensation for victims of gun violence and make the gun industry accountable for its conduct. The Torricelli-Feinstein Amendment preserves this last chance for justice. Other provisions of the proposed legislation protect gun sellers as well as manufacturers, even in cases when they market guns to criminals, or undermine causes of action important to litigation by gun victims. These restrictions would obliterate the new wave of lawsuits against the gun industry, which are modeled on the successful litigation against tobacco companies. Around the country, gun victims, gun control advocates, and mayors are pursuing potential cases.