Bump stock ban blocked by Senate Republicans

Driving the news: Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) asked senators for unanimous consent Tuesday afternoon to pass a bill that would ban bump stocks, but Sen. Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.) objected, thwarting the effort.

• The bipartisan bill had little chance of passing the chamber and was instead introduced to force Republicans to reject it.
• The measure picked up 20 additional cosponsors since last week's Supreme Court ruling.
• Democrats are confident that voters, on balance, will reward any efforts at moderate firearms restrictions.

Zoom out: The Supreme Court on Friday overturned a ban on bump stocks, gun attachments that allow shooters to fire weapons at nearly the rate of a machine gun.

• The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives' (ATF) tried to ban bump stocks after they were used in a 2017 mass shooting in Las Vegas, in which a gunman opened fire on a music festival, killing 60 people and wounding 850 more.
• Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) is the only Republican so far who has signed on to legislation.

The big picture: The Tuesday vote is the latest example of Schumer using the floor to force politically tough issues on Republicans — and give a boost to vulnerable Democrats up for reelection this year.

• He has held votes on a bipartisan border bill and multiple reproductive rights bills that Republicans have blocked.
• Some vulnerable Democrats are asking Schumer to bring a bipartisan tax package to the floor next, as Axios has reported.
• Congress could still take action to ban bump stocks before Election Day.