Lawmakers call for bump stocks vote

WASHINGTON—Lawmakers from both parties are urging Congress to pass legislation to outlaw devices that increase the firing rate of weapons, after getting a green light from President Donald Trump. On Tuesday, Trump directed the Justice Department to regulate bump stocks and other similar devices. The president’s order has not taken effect yet, and it’s unclear if the directive will be able to completely wipe out the sale of the devices in the United States. “Good first steps, but Congress must also act,” Rep. Carlos Curbelo, R-Fla., tweeted Tuesday. Curbelo urged House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., to schedule a vote on a bill Curbelo and Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., introduced in October to outlaw bump stocks. The effort gained steam after Las Vegas shooter Stephen Paddock used the device to kill 58 people and wound nearly 500 in October. Regulating bump stocks has broad public support: After the Las Vegas shooting, the National Rifle Association called on the government to review the legality of the devices. “As both parties have been saying for months, bump stocks should be illegal,” Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said in a statement Tuesday. “I’m glad the president agrees, and I hope his order is strong as he says it is.” States across the country are reviewing gun laws and ways to make local communities safer after last week’s school shooting in Parkland, Fla., that left 17 people dead. The Supreme Court announced Tuesday it would not take up an appeal to overturn a California law that requires a 10-day waiting period for firearm sales.