After weeks of negotiations between Republicans & Democrats in response to an increase number of mass shootings in the country, the Senate passed a compromise bill for gun reform on Thursday night.
The bill is a far cry from what gun reform advocates have been calling for, as it doesn’t address the root causes of the U.S.’s gun violence epidemic, including the deep-pocketed and politically powerful gun lobby. But the bipartisan group of 20 senators — which includes 10 Democrats and 10 Republicans — still praised the legislation as being a worthwhile step forward.
“This bill is a compromise. It doesn’t do everything I want,” said Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Connecticut). “But what we are doing will save thousands of lives without violating anyone’s Second Amendment rights.”
After the bill was passed by the Senate, Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of House (D-California), stated that the House of Representatives had approved the bill. would take up the legislation “first thing” Friday morningTo ensure that the bill passes quickly in that chamber, so that President Joe Biden may sign it into law.
Myriad polling data has demonstratedThe American public is calling for stricter standards in determining who can buy a weapon in America. An Economist/YouGov poll published earlier this weekFor example, a study by the University of Michigan found that 55% of Americans want stricter gun laws. Only 36% said they should remain the same or be made more restrictive.
This month, lawmakers were under increasing pressure to pass gun legislation. After listening to victims of mass shootings testify before CongressIn Buffalo, New York, 10 people were killed by a white supremacist in a grocery store. In Uvalde Texas, 19 children and two teachers were murdered by a gunman at an elementary school. Miah Cerrillo (a fourth-grader) was one of those who testified before the House Oversight and Reform panel. She covered herself in blood from a classmate and pretend to be dead to hide her identity from the shooter.
The Senate compromise billIt would increase funding for school safety and mental health, and improve background checks for gun purchases made by persons under 21 years old. It would also provide incentives for states to implement the $750 million in federal funding. “red flag laws,”These allow judges to temporarily take guns away from people who pose a risk to themselves and others.
The new legislation would also close the so-called “boyfriend loophole,” restricting gun purchases for any person charged with domestic abuse. Currently, those convicted of domestic violence against their spouses, their live-in partners or those they co-parent with are restricted from buying guns, but individuals who have been convicted of domestic violence in relationships that don’t fit that criteria are unaffected.
Gun safety advocates have been critical about what’s not included in the Senate billNoting that guns themselves are often ignored, The bill doesn’t include restrictions or bans on semi-automatic weapons, or high-capacity magazine, which are both commonly used in mass killings.
Progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York) Has previously expressed concernsThere are concerns about whether the bill will prove effective due to its emphasis on criminal punishment and enhancing law enforcement. “I am disappointed to hear a focus on increased criminalization and juvenile criminalization instead of having the focus on guns,” she said in a recent interview with CNN.
