By Erin Kelly | Republic Washington Bureau
Congress will consider the first major gun-control legislation in years after 16 Republican senators — including Arizonans John McCain and Jeff Flake — joined with most Democrats on Thursday to fend off a filibuster that would have blocked any action on the emotional issue.
Senators voted 68-31 to allow debate and votes on gun-control legislation, derailing efforts by Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and other Republican leaders to block discussion of a topic that many Americans support in some form.
The Senate now will begin what could be several weeks of intense debate and votes on gun-control measures, ranging from expanded background checks on gun buyers to a ban on assault weapons.
The proposal that appears to have the best chance for widespread support is a bipartisan amendment by conservative Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Patrick Toomey, R-Pa., that would expand background checks on gun buyers to cover people who purchase firearms at gun shows or on the Internet.
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