By Jill Morrison
Washington, DC – In the final round of questions, New York Senator Charles Schumer attempted to get Judge Samuel Alito to be more specific with his answers.
Schumer shifted his focus from abortion to congressional authority. As a federal judge in 1996, Alito dissented arguing it was unconstitutional for Congress to regulate machine gun sales, instead leaving that control to the states. Schumer told Alito the federal government should have authority over weapons.
"Ninety percent of the guns used in crimes in New York come from out of state," Schumer said. "There's no way New York State could stop them unless they inspected each car that came across the George Washington Bridge."
Alito admitted to Schumer he would approach the case differently now because numerous federal judges and the Supreme Court eventually ruled against him.