From the moment the Democrats knew they had the House of Representatives locked, they started plotting to push for gun control. This was an issue they campaigned on, and their urban-center constituents expect them to make this push. They had to do it.

Not that they’re the least bit upset by trying to trample on the rights of law-abiding Americans who have done nothing wrong, mind you.

Now, their universal background check bill is one step closer to passing their chamber where it will be kicked to the Senate who, at best, will point and laugh at it as the bill has been advanced from committee.

The House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday advanced legislation that would require universal background checks for gun purchases in the latest sign that Democrats are prioritizing gun control in the first days of their majority.

Lawmakers on the panel voted along party lines to approve the bill, 23-15. Democrats hope to bring the measure to the floor for a vote in the coming weeks.

The committee vote came a day before the one-year anniversary of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., which killed 17 people.

Rep. Ted Deutch (D-Fla.), whose district includes Parkland, made an emotional plea during the committee markup for the bill’s approval if it meant even one mass shooting could be prevented.

“It happened,” Deutch said of the Parkland shooting. “Now, our responsibility is to do everything we can to make sure it never happens again.”

Deutch wasn’t the only lawmaker to become emotional at the markup, the first major gun control legislation advanced out of the House Judiciary Committee in decades.

Under the GOP majority, the House did pass multiple measures in response to gun violence, including enacting penalties against agencies that fail to report to the background check system and providing grants to schools for implementing security to prevent violence.

Freshman Rep. Lucy McBath (D-Ga.), who lost her son to gun violence, broke into tears after casting a vote in favor of the bill. “For my son Jordan Davis, I vote aye,” she said.

Of course, McBath’s son’s murder had absolutely nothing to do with universal background checks. Worse is that she knows it. She’s just using his body as a soapbox, and it’s disgusting. I can understand how losing a loved one will push you to embrace gun control, but to grandstand like this? There’s something wrong with a person like that.

At this point, I think we all know what’s going to happen. The House will vote on it, and it’ll pass pretty much along party lines. A couple of Republicans will cross the aisle, as they’re co-sponsors of the bill, thus allowing them to pretend it’s bipartisan. It’ll go to the Senate where it’s likely to never even come up for a vote and will wither away and die.

But that won’t deter Democrats in the least. They’ll keep passing gun control bills that won’t pass the Senate, much less survive a presidential veto, and pretend they’re accomplishing something.

Meanwhile, the American people aren’t as worked up over guns as they were a year ago. Keep this up, and they’ll be handing 2020 over to the Republicans unless they can find something more to try and accomplish than this.