Chamber approves bipartisan weapons legislation; Joe Biden plans to sign the law

Update: The House has passed a bipartisan compromise bill on gun safety, and the bill now heads to Joe Biden’s desk for his signature.

The vote was 234 to 193 and was praised by lawmakers when House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced the final vote. Fourteen Republicans joined the Democrats in passing the bill.

Legislation in response to recent mass shootings in Waldald, Texas and Buffalo, New York, will extend history review from 18 to 21 years, encourage states to pass red flag laws, and extend federal prohibition laws. Purchase of weapons. The legislation also provides for funding for school safety and mental health.

But the bill lacks an outright ban on assault weapons, including sale to young people. It was a reflection of the Republicans’ unresolved stance on the issue, with House leaders even calling on their members to vote against compromise legislation.

The Senate passed the bill on Thursday night, with a vote of 65-33. Congressional leaders hailed the legislation as a breakthrough, as no significant federal gun legislation has been passed in nearly 30 years.

soon: On Thursday, the Senate passed a compromise bill on gun safety 65-33, a rare occasion when lawmakers on both sides responded to a wave of mass shootings with legislation.

But the bill still falls short of what many gun reform advocates want, such as banning assault weapons and restricting the purchase of firearms by people under the age of 21. .

These proposals have received support from the general public based on recent polls, but have not been a kick-off as a bipartisan group of senators has reached a compromise.

The legislation, the Bipartisan Safeguards Act, will extend history review from 18 to 21 years, encourage states to pass red flag laws, and extend federal law banning domestic abusers from purchasing firearms. The legislation also provides for funding for school safety and mental health.

The bill will now go to parliament, which will vote on it on Friday. President Joe Biden has indicated that he will sign it.

Senators, led by Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) and Senator John Cornyn (R-TX), began talks in Walde, Texas following a mass shooting in the state of Texas in which a gunman killed 19 elementary school students. and two teachers. The shooter may have legally given birth to two assault rifles on his 18th birthday.

Ironically, the legislation was passed on the same day the Supreme Court decided in a 6-3 decision to extend the rights of gun owners to carry hidden guns out of the home. The court overturned New York secular law, which required those seeking secret leave to prove that they had “an adequate cause” or a special purpose.

Although the Senate bill marked the first major federal gun safety legislation in nearly 30 years, the National Gun Association and other gun rights advocates still opposed it.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) acknowledged the bill “is not a panacea for how gun violence affects our nation,” but said “this is a long-term step in the right. direction “and that is” saving lives. “

President Joe Biden said in a statement, “The families of Uvalde and Buffalo, and many tragic shootings in the past, have called for action. And tonight we perform. He said the legislation “will help protect Americans”. For this reason, children in schools and communities will be safer.

Murphy, who delivered a passionate speech in the Senate following the brutal massacre, tweeted: “I’m tired. And grateful “

Following his call for legislation, there was considerable cynicism that Congress would take steps to address gun violence, as there had been no response to other mass shootings in the past. In 2012, following the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, the Senate on gun legislation was suspended after being blocked due to a lung threat.

But Murphy helped with the Senate negotiations and arms reform activists pushed Congress to act. Matthew McConaughey, a native of Walton, visited Capitol Hill and spoke about the need for legislation in the White House, although the bill falls short of the proposals he supported.

The last major piece of legislation to be passed by the Senate was the Assault Weapons Ban Act, passed in 1994. But that restriction expired ten years later and sales of assault weapons like the AR-15 have increased. The AR-15 has been used in mass shootings for the past decade.