Gop Gun Plan Labeled ‘Absurd’

Democratic lawmakers joined gun-control advocates Thursday in attacking a new Republican proposal to restore a federal program that allows felons to petition to regain their gun privileges.

A National Rifle Association official defended the program.

“This program erodes public safety and directly undercuts other crime-control efforts,” Sen. Paul Simon, D-Ill., told a news conference. “No one - not even the NRA can make a strong case for criminals owning guns.”

Sarah Brady, the chairwoman of Handgun Control Inc., said, “I find this unconscionable. I also find it absolutely absurd.”

Joe Phillips, the NRA’s director of federal affairs, said felons seeking to regain their firearms privileges “should at least have the opportunity to have their particular cases examined.”