0 tod today, his spokesman kept up the pressure bluntly saying tlus ii should be a vote to ban assault weapons. >> the president firmly supports reinstatement of the assault weapons ban. he has long supported that. as for the assault weapons ban in particular, i think he said it on sunday in plarticular, i know he believes this needs to come to a vote. and he believes it should come to a vote. >> also, today, a bipartisan gun trafficking bill is gaining more republican support. three republicans join three democrats getting behind the already-bipartisan gun trafficking act. the gun makes its illegal to buy a gun and transfer it to someone who can't pass a background check. democrats and republicans how to unlock a locked issue. will people around the country continue to join his call? >> a co-sponsor of the trafficking bill and nia malika henderson, reporter for "the washington post." let me go to you first, congresswoman. let me ask you, do you have a feeling that there's a different sense in this debate now? >> absolutely. there's growing momentum. we introduced our bill with two republicans. it's bipartisan. i introduced it in the last congress and no republican will go on it. that is a big change. today, we picked up three more republicans and we're going to pass this bill. it's a common sense measure that everyone can get behind. it will take guns out of the hanlds of criminals and stop the flow of guns to criminals. >> now, you had proposed this last year and couldn't get any republicans. and now you're adding republicans? >> there is a change. and very important, reverend, there is no effect what so ever on law-abiding gun ownership. there's no reason why every nra member isn't supporting this bill. in fact, one of the republicans supporting it was an active nra member and talked about how everyone should be supporting this bill and stop gun trafficking. most people find it unbelievable that it's not a felony already. >> nia, how can someone not say that their right to not have allowed someone to pass a gun onto someone that can't pass a background check. i mean, it's hard for any member of congress to co-sponsor that? >> i think over the last couple of years, you see a very power f ful nra. the flow of guns to criminals. but i think the assault weapons, ban, even if that doesn't necessarily have a chance, if you look at the amount of killings that go on every year, 11,000, 12,00 or so killed every year by guns, the majority, 95% are killed by handguns. so if they are able to pass some of these measures around gun trafficking, that would do a lot in terms of stemming the flow of crime to some of these areas. >> congresswoman, you don't have the big lobbyist on the other side. but this seems to be a showdown between the big guy and a common american. is that how it's being felt and played out to the colleagues? >> the american people are making themselves heard. they want change. sandy hook elementary massacre was a wake-up call to all americans. we have to do something. we can't continue as we are. we'll just have more murders. another thing that the bill does is that it makes the straw purchasers, it gives them real penalties. now they just get a slap on the hand. we need to give law enforcement the tools to make our streets safer. and they literally came and testified before congress and asked for the trafficking and guns to be made a felony and for stricter penalties for straw purchasers, those who purchase the guns for criminals or for other people who could not pass a background check. and remember what happened in webster, new york? on christmas eve, ten days after sandyhook massacre, he killed two firefighters and i doubt that his neighbor would be buying a gun for him, a convicted felon, if she knew she could be facing 20 years for doing such an action. so we need tougher enforcement and we need tougher laws on the books. and these bills do that. >> you know, we have two sobering kind of reminders today, nia malika, what this is all about. take it anymore and we're going to act in a civil way, then this legislation perhaps is the first thing that needs to occur. >> i was four years old when my uncle, president kennedy, was killed by a man with a gun. and i was 8 years old when my father, too, was gunned down. we passed the gun control act of 1968 for my uncle, my father, martin luther king and malcolm x. >> we passed a gun control act in '68 after the killing of dr. king and robert kennedy and malcolm x. certainly, we can do it now. quite a challenge from kerry kennedy. >> indeed, the king and the kennedys, these were mayor. and to have them speak out, i think, will resonate with many people. again, i think the folks who are on the gun control side of this debate have really turned a corner. it used to be that the gun lobby had all the energy and the passion. but in the wake of sandyhook, you've seen a real seat change. going forward, you're going to see some real change. >> well, it's encouraging. and certainly, congresswoman, who we know is a real fighter in getting republicans on your side is progress. nia malika henderson, thank you for coming. i know we've been dealing with a well-financed gun lobby, but when you see babies being buried, sometimes your money can't be spent against the atrocities that people are facing. people just don't want to hear it anymore. i believe. thank you both for your time tonight. on his birthday, republicans are breaking reagan's 11th commandment. thou shall not speak ill of fellow republicans. plus, president obama winning on issue after issue, even the right wing propaganda machine is changing. and fox news back pedals from an ugly hillary clinton smear. we have the tape. big show tonight, live from washington. stay with us.