A new Morning Consult/Politico poll found that nearly 60% of registered voters think it is important for lawmakers to pass stricter gun laws.

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It is important for elected leaders to pass stricter gun control laws according to the poll.

42% of people think it's very important, and 18% think it's somewhat important.

34% of people think it should be a top priority for Congress to pass legislation that places additional restrictions on gun ownership.

The most important thing the federal government should do to prevent mass shootings is passing stricter gun control laws, according to a plurality of people.

Democrats think gun control laws are the most effective, while 27% want to combat extremists.

Two bills that would strengthen background check requirements for gun purchases have been passed by the House, but are unlikely to clear the Senate, as Republican lawmakers and moderate Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin have opposed the measures.

After the shooting in Buffalo took place on May 14 but before the shooting in Uvalde on Tuesday, the poll was conducted among 2,005 registered voters.

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Even though most voters want stricter gun control laws, they trust Republicans more to handle gun policy than Democrats. Only 75% of Democrats said they would trust their own party more, while 84% of Republicans did the same. 34% of Independents trust Democrats, 37% trust Republicans and 29% have no opinion.

What We Don’t Know

The shooting in Uvalde, which killed at least 19 children and two adults, could move the needle on support for gun control measures since a poll was conducted before that. The share of Americans who want stricter gun laws has declined as compared to previous years, according to recent polling from Gallup. The Morning Consult/Politico poll found higher levels of support than the polls found lower levels of support.

What To Watch For

What will Congress do next? Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Wednesday that he wouldn't force a vote on the bills to expand background checks for gun purchases because it would fail in the Senate. Manchin said he was opposed to abolishing the filibuster to pass gun control measures. Schumer wants to give colleagues like Murphy a chance to put together bipartisan legislation that might have a better chance of passing. It's not clear what that legislation could look like, given the GOP's opposition to stricter gun control rules.

Crucial Quote

Schumer said that Americans can vote in November for senators or members of Congress that reflect how they stand with guns. This is a very slim prospect. We have been burned many times before. This is important.

Key Background

There have been at least 200 mass shootings in the US so far this year, including the shootings in Buffalo and Uvalde. More specific gun proposals have been found to garner higher support from the public than stricter gun rules, according to recent polls. According to a study by the Pew Research Center, in April 2021, 81% of people favor expanding background checks to include private gun sales, and 70% favor banning high-capacity magazines that hold more than 10 rounds.

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Theew Research Center has some important facts about Americans and guns.