Senate Rejects Background Check Compromise

Toomey-Manchin goes down

The Senate rejected a compromise proposal to expand background checks on gun purchases, dealing a blow to the core of legislative efforts to curb massacres such as the one at a Connecticut school in December.

The 54-46 vote came on an amendment by Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Pat Toomey, R-Pa. Sixty votes were necessary to get around a filibuster – a tall order because it meant drawing on Republican support to make up for losing majority-party Democrats.

Democratic Sens. Mark Pryor of Arkansas, Max Baucus of Montana and Mark Begich of Alaska -- who are up for re-election in 2014 in red states -- and Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota were among the early "no" votes.