Dang, I was shouting "WOLVERINES!!!!!" so loud I forgot the original topic!
They can, and do write everything they want the world to be into
proposed legislation. Seems like nearly every year some elected member of the Congress introduces a bill (or an attachment to one) to ban guns, repeal the 2nd Amendment, and such like items...and thats just the stuff we notice about our firearms rights.
Think of all the crap they propose about everything else?!!!!!
Generally, the wilder ideas don't get any more than token support, and wither away, until the usual suspects can legally introduce them again.
But every so often, there is a "perfect storm" conjuction of political will, public support and a percieved problem that results in some kind of sweeping new gun control proposals actaully getting to a vote. The 1994 crime bill (the Assault Weapons Ban) is a clear example.
Remember, it passed by a single vote.
And many people have worked hard ever since then to keep the fear of these "terrible weapons in the hands of everyone" (meaning specifically ordinary law abding citizens, because in their heart of hearts, even the stauchest rabid anti guner must admit that no law stops someone willing to break it) in the forefront of the public (and political) eye.
Unfortunately for them, those pesky terrorists have stolen their thunder. People are fond of saying the world changed that September, but it didn't. What did change was a large segment of the US finally woke up.
When it comes to the physical safety of Mom, Pop, and all the kiddies, the rare wackjob going on a shooting rampage is chump change compared to organized groups of people willing to hijack airliners and fly them into buildings to kill
THOUSANDS of people at a time!
Suddenly, gun control didn't seem so important to most folks, we had better and more useful things to do. And besides, might be nice to have a good gun if "them terrierists ever have the guts to show up here in person!"
They can (and will) write anything into proposed bills, but thanks to the lesson politicians learned in 94 (and which most haven't forgotten) they know that no matter how much some of them might want to take a big chunk of our guns away, or just make them significantly harder to get, its political poison. They got the AWB passed in the summer of an election year, and that November, we threw a lot of them out. It wasn't Newt's "Contract with America" that changed the balance of power in Congress that election, it was ticked off gun owners, of both parties! The losers that year know who did it to them, and why. And they have admitted it, amongst themselves. They aren't going to "shoot themselves in the foot"
that way again soon, if ever.
And, now more than ever, with all the crap going on with our economy, energy, etc., you pick an issue, there's lots to choose from, making voters MORE upset with politicans by adding in gun control is not somthing a wise politicial operator will do.
Sadly, they aren't all wise, in so many ways. The real gun control fanatics in govt don't have a lot of traction these days. Doesn't stop them,they don't go away. But currently, they are spinning hard, but not going far.