Outline of a bipartisan Senate agreement to contain gun violence There is no game changer that bans the deadliest guns. It proposes measuring terms that make it harder for some young gun buyers, or those seen as threatening, to acquire firearms.
And make meaningful efforts to address mental health and school safety concerns. All reflect the election-year pressure to act that both sides feel after a mass shooting in May that left 10 people dead in Buffalo, New York and 21 others in UvaldeTexas.
Details of the plan are still being negotiated between Democrats and Republicans, with disagreements over how tight the initiatives should be. That means the validity of the proposal – and perhaps whether some parts will even exist – remains to be determined when it is turned into law.
Here’s what’s in and out of the agreement:
Increased, narrowly scoped, background checks
When people between the ages of 18 and 20 try to buy a gun, the first request for a federal background check will include their juvenile criminal record and mental health history. To allow time to get data from state and local governments, the current three-day maximum process will be extended by seven days, according to aides following the negotiations. After the 10 day period expires, the purchaser can receive the weapon, even if the record search is not complete.
Currently, dealers deemed “businesses” selling firearms are required to have a federal gun license. Such sellers must conduct background checks. Bargainers want to include more people who are not in formal business, sometimes selling weapons.
Other measured curbs
The framework calls for grants to help states enforce or enact “red flag” laws that allow authorities to receive court orders to temporarily take firearms from people deemed dangerous. Nineteen states and the District of Columbia have such statutes, but some lack the funding to vigorously enforce them.
Penalties will be imposed on so-called straw buyers who buy guns for others who are not qualified. Current or former romantic partners convicted of domestic abuse or targeted by a victim under the restraining order, will be barred from accepting firearms. The ban applies today if the couple is married, living together or having children together.
The introduction of tougher restrictions on straw buyers and estranged partners came as a surprise since they had been blocked by Republicans before.
Solve broader problems
Democrats say there will be billions of dollars to expand mental health initiatives. This will pay for more community behavioral health centers, increase suicide and violence prevention intervention efforts, and increase access to remote mental health visits.
There will be new funds for school safety. These could include better security at building entrances, training for staff, and violence prevention programs. The dollar amount is not clear.
Cross the barrier ahead
Democrats reacted to voters strongly favoring gun restrictions who wanted the new law to be as strict as possible. Republicans want nothing that would turn gun voters hard against them.
This means negotiating hard on the fine print of the law.
How narrow will the new definition of sellers needing a federal gun license be written down? Is there a limit to what minor records are accessible during background checks to young buyers?
What conditions will states have to meet to be eligible for “red flag” funds? What legal protections will people have if the government considers them to have weapons too risky?
How much will the package cost? No one said, though people familiar with the discussions say a $15 billion ballpark is possible. And how will it be paid?
One leader of the effort, Senator Chris Murphy, D-Conn., told reporters Monday that the bargainers plan to pay for the costs by offsetting spending cuts or other incentives. new revenue. The latter could be an inescapable option for the Republican Party.
The leaders hope the package can be written and approved before the National Assembly begins its session on July 4.
What else is there?
President Joe Biden has proposed reinstating the 1994 assault weapons ban, which expires after a decade, or raising the minimum age to buy one from 18 to 21. He wants to ban magazines with a large capacity. great.
He will waive immunity from liability for gun manufacturers. He wants gun safekeeping requirements and federal “red flag” laws to apply to gun-free states.
None of that was included in the bill; Nor does a universal background check. Biden nonetheless backed the deal in the name of a compromise that would make an achievement.
US House of Representatives votes to raise AR-15 age limit to 21 after Uvalde, Buffalo shooting
Prospects ahead?
Ten senators from each side announced the gun outline and said they supported it. Those numbers are not a coincidence.
They signaled likely enough support for the Senate to pass 50-50, where Democrats would need at least 10 GOP supporters to reach the usual 60-vote threshold. In addition to Murphy, the other key negotiators are Sens. John Cornyn, R-Texas, Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., and Thom Tillis, RN.C.
Approval is expected in the Democratic-led House of Representatives, although complications can always arise.
More restrictions?
Another bargainer, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said he hopes Republicans will find that “the pro-gun action is weaker than they think.” But there are signs that approving future restrictions will be a challenge.
For one thing, this gun action is the most significant action taken by Congress since the expired assault weapons ban was enacted three decades ago. That shows how long-lasting hard positions can be.
Another clue is the composition of the 20 announced backers of the deal. Blumenthal and Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., are the only two running this year.
Four others, all Republicans, will retire in January: Sens. Roy Blunt of Missouri, Richard Burr of North Carolina, Rob Portman of Ohio and Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania.
Those who remain will not have to run for re-election until 2024 or 2026.
They are Republicans Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Susan Collins of Maine, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Mitt Romney of Utah.
Democrats are Sens. Cory Booker of New Jersey, Chris Coons of Delaware, Martin Heinrich of New Mexico, Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Debbie Stabenow of Michigan.
Independent Senator Angus King of Maine, allied with the Democratic Party, also supported the proposal.
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