Our plan protects constitutional rights while saving lives. The 20 senators said in their statement that they were looking forward to getting broad, bipartisan support and passing their commonsense proposal into law.
The lead negotiators on the proposal are Murphy, Cornyn, Sinema and Tillis. Gun buyers under the age of 21 would be subjected to scrutiny of their criminal and mental health records as a juvenile. It is difficult to write because of the different laws in each state.
Since the elementary school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, a bipartisan group has held its own meetings on guns. The approval of 10 Republicans is crucial to moving forward.
The legislation is supported by several senators, including Susan Collins (R-Maine), Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and Chris Coons (D-Del.). They are all retiring at the end of the year.
Families are scared and it is our duty to come together and get something done that will help restore their sense of safety and security.
Senate Minority LeaderMitch McConnell released a statement welcoming the announcement as proof of the value of dialogue and cooperation, but he sidestepped a direct endorsement of the framework.
The package includes provisions on red flag laws, which allow law enforcement to seek temporary removal of firearms from individuals who are a threat to themselves or others, as well as broadening firearms restrictions on people who have abused their romantic partners.
According to a summary of the agreement, the package aims to crack down on straw purchaser and illegal unlicensed firearms dealers.
Nineteen children and two teachers were killed in the Uvalde shooting. The killings in Texas happened a week after a racist mass shooter killed 10 people at a supermarket in New York.
Biden said Sunday that more children are killed in this country every day and that the sooner he can sign it the better.
Sunday's announcement is a major breakthrough, but it's not always easy to translate a framework into a bill. More than six weeks passed between the announcement of a framework and Senate approval of the bill during last year's bipartisan infrastructure negotiations. A GOP aide involved in the negotiations said that Sunday's agreement was an "agreement on principles, not legislative text"
The aide warned that the details would be important for Republicans. If text isn't agreed to, one or more of these principles could be dropped.
It could result in a high-water mark for GOP support for any level of gun restrictions if the framework is anything to go by. It is the closest the chamber has been to a broader gun safety deal since the Sandy Hook shooting.
The Senate is poised to act on commonsense reforms to protect Americans where they live, where they shop, and where they learn. If a single life can be saved, it's worth the effort, according to Schumer.
The legislation was blocked by most Republicans and a few Democrats. After mass shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, the Senate tried again to reach a deal, but President Donald Trump was not interested. The background check system was strengthened by Murphy and Cornyn.
Democrats would have liked to expand background checks to more prospective gun buyers and ban assault rifles, but they don't have the support of Republicans. A handful of Republicans are in favor of raising the age to purchase assault rifles to 21, something McConnell has expressed personal openness to, but neither McConnell nor Cornyn have pushed that as part of the package.
Senate Democratic leaders are willing to take a more modest deal than the strictures of Biden's party.
If the bipartisan group can complete legislative text and lock in the 60 votes needed to start debate, any legislation on the Senate floor can be amended. Congress is scheduled to take a two week break in June.
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