WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) on Wednesday voted against an amendment offered by Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) to extend background checks to firearm sales at gun shows and online. Failing to meet a 60-vote threshold, the amendment was defeated by a vote of 54-46.

After the vote, Wicker said, “Throughout my career in Congress, I have worked consistently to preserve and defend the fundamental right to keep and bear arms. The Manchin-Toomey amendment falls short of this unwavering standard. I have not and will not support any attempt to infringe or undermine the Constitution’s Second Amendment protections.”

The Manchin-Toomey amendment was one of several measures considered as part of the Safe Communities, Safe Schools Act of 2013, S. 649. Wicker also voted against an amendment to ban so-called “assault weapons” and an amendment to ban high-capacity ammunition magazines.

Wicker added: “In vote after vote today, the Senate went on record to affirm the basic Second Amendment rights of all Americans. The Manchin-Toomey amendment was a flawed approach, which I opposed, because it could have opened the door to a national gun registry. In addition, I was pleased at the overwhelming bipartisan vote against the ban on so-called assault weapons and against other proposals that would have violated the Second Amendment without doing anything to reduce illegal gun violence.

“The ‘Protecting Communities and Preserving the Second Amendment Act,’ which I cosponsored, is a responsible alternative to the Obama Administration’s anti-gun agenda, because it targets problems in existing law instead of restricting the rights of law-abiding citizens.

“I voted for this amendment and other key efforts to protect Americans’ basic constitutional liberty, such as supporting veterans’ right to own a firearm and expanding reciprocity of concealed-carry gun laws across state lines.

“This has been a good opportunity to affirm the right to keep and bear arms and to put Senators on record about a basic constitutional right.”

During 19 years in Congress and seven in the Mississippi State Senate, Wicker has a 100 percent voting record in favor of Second Amendment rights. He has an A+ rating from the National Rifle Association.

# # #