Dean Heller, Republican Senator from Nevada, has said he’s unlikely to support any ban on private transactions by gun owners under any circumstances.
“What we’re doing is criminalizing any private transaction by gun owners,†Heller said. “…If we can get the onus off the law abiding citizens and make it a responsibility of those who have committed felons or adjudicated mental health issues, then I’m open for discussion, but not until then.â€
I’d agree with the author of the post that it would seem Manchin is barking up the wrong tree in trying to influence Heller’s vote. They need to switch six Senators to get to 60.
Heller is in the same position that Manchin is in, meaning that he just won a six year term in the senate so he really has a lot of leeway in how he votes. The fact that he chooses to protect gun rights is a sign that he really doesn’t fear any negative consequence coming from the Nevada voters on this issue, which is probably an accurate assumption.