US Senate advances first gun legislation in years

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
22 Jun 2022 12:11

The bill would strengthen background checks for firearms buyers under the age of 21 and would also make it simpler to confiscate guns away from people who are endangering themselves or others.

US Senate advances first gun legislation in years.

The US Senate took a first step toward approving the country's first major gun-control legislation in decades on Tuesday, spurred on by two mass shootings in a country that has long battled to reduce gun violence.

Senators voted to expedite the approval of a bipartisan package of gun-control legislation. The Senate is scheduled to vote on the 80-page bill this week before going on vacation for two weeks.

The bill announced on Tuesday falls short of the goals set by Democrats, including President Joe Biden. Nevertheless, if passed, it would be the most important anti-gun violence legislation to come from Congress in years.

What does the bill include?

The bill includes provisions to assist states in keeping weapons out of the hands of those prone to being a danger to themselves or others, as well as to closing the so-called boyfriend loophole by prohibiting gun purchases to those convicted of assaulting unmarried intimate partners.

Following deadly killings at a New York grocery store and a Texas elementary school by teens, the legislation would encourage states to transmit juvenile records to the national background check system for gun transactions.

The law does not raise the age limit for purchasing automatic assault weapons from 18 to 21. Both shooters in Texas and New York were 18-year-olds who used assault guns they purchased on their own.

What did the Senators have to say?

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer predicted that the package will be passed this week, while Senator Chris Murphy, the chief Democrat in negotiations with Republicans, described it as "the most substantial piece of anti-gun-violence legislation Congress will have passed in 30 years."

"This is a breakthrough," Murphy said on the Senate floor ahead of the bill's release. "And more importantly, it is a bipartisan breakthrough."

Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell called the legislation "a commonsense package" and pledged his support.

What does the bill need to pass?

With the Senate's 100 seats evenly divided between the two parties, the legislation will need at least 10 Republican votes to clear a procedural barrier. 14 Republicans, including McConnell, joined all 50 Democrats in calling for a vote on the bill.

The National Rifle Association (NRA), the country's largest gun lobby, stated on Twitter that it opposes the proposal because it may be abused to restrict lawful gun purchases. The declaration by the politically strong group could influence how many Republicans vote on the legislation.

Senator John Cornyn, the senior Republican negotiator in the bipartisan negotiations, expressed optimism that the bill would pass.

"We know there's no such thing as a perfect piece of legislation. We are imperfect human beings. But we have to try, and I believe this bill is a step in the right direction," Cornyn said on the Senate floor.

"Red flag" laws

Since a gunman massacred 19 students and two teachers at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, less than two weeks after a racist shooting at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York, the bipartisan group has been working on a compromise to reduce gun violence.

Lawmakers reached an agreement on a provision to encourage states to adopt "red flag" laws, in which guns can be temporarily taken away from people who are deemed dangerous. It also provides funding for states that use other forms of intervention to accomplish the same outcome.

The bill also seeks to address the "boyfriend loophole" by allowing police to prohibit gun sales by persons convicted of misdemeanor domestic abuse against non-married partners.