Feinstein to Cruz on Guns: 'I'm Not a Sixth-Grader'

It got testy on Capitol Hill today as the Senate Judiciary Committee debated gun legislation. After Ted Cruz suggested that Dianne Feinstein's proposal to ban assault weapons was unconstitutional, she shot back: “I'm not a sixth-grader,” reports the Hill. "It's fine you want to lecture me on the Constitution. I appreciate it. Just know I've been here for a long time. I've passed on a number of bills. I've studied the Constitution myself. I am reasonably well-educated, and I thank you for the lecture.”

As for the actual legislation, the panel passed the ban on about 160 types of assault weapons and on high-capacity ammo clips by a party-line vote of 10-8—but the measure has virtually no chance of passing the full Senate, reports Politico. It will likely show up as an amendment to whatever gun legislation Harry Reid introduces in the coming weeks, meaning it would need a legislative miracle, 60 votes, to succeed, explains AP. Feinstein apologized to Cruz as the hearing ended, notes the Washington Post. "You sort of got my dander up," she said. Cruz told reporters, “It’s unfortunate that a question about the Constitution provokes such a strenuous response." (More Senate Judiciary Committee stories.)