Hoeven A Definite No On Gun Control Bill, Heitkamp Still A Maybe UPDATE: Heitkamp Says No

The Senate plans on voting on gun control today, and Democrats don’t yet have their votes. Senator Heidi Heitkamp still isn’t clear on how she’ll vote. Senator John Hoeven, for his part, says that despite voting to end the filibuster of the bill he’s a definite “no” vote.

Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, a Democrat, didn’t say how she would vote on the bill but did say the gun control debate has been “enormously frustrating” for her.

“What is my deepest level of frustration? We started talking about school safety and started talking about mental health” and ended up with a bill that tries to expand background checks.

Heitkamp said she’s still evaluating the background check measure. She is one of a handful of red-state Democrats in the Senate considered by many political observers to be key votes on the background check measure.

“We’ve had a lot of tough meetings both ways on this. We’re just trying evaluate this bill in light of our state’s needs. Obviously, the voices I’m listening to are North Dakota voices,” Heitkamp said.

Hoeven was among a group of Republicans who voted to allow debate on the measure. But, he said, he definitely opposes it.

“I’ve been clear on that. I’m a strong supporter of the Second Amendment and the right to bear arms,” Hoeven said.

Meanwhile, even as Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid claims Democrats have the wind at their backs, a Gallup poll reveals that just 4% of Americans see guns as a top issue, coming after the economy, jobs, dissatisfaction with government, the national debt, health care, moral decline, immigration and education.

Update: It looks like Heitkamp is a no: