A bipartisan Senate group on Sunday announced that it reached a deal on a narrow gun safety bill that appears to have enough Republican support to pass, The New York Times reports.
A group of 10 Democrats and 10 Republicans issued a statement announcing the deal, though the bill has not been fully written.
“Today, we are announcing a common-sense, bipartisan proposal to protect America’s children, keep our schools safe and reduce the threat of violence across our country,” the group, which was led by Connecticut Democrat Chris Murphy and Texas Republican John Cornyn, said in a statement. “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 in their communities.”
Details:
The deal would provide funding for states to enact red flag laws, which allow authorities to confiscate guns from people deemed to be dangerous.
The deal would also provide funding for mental health services and additional money to boost school security.
The bill would also close the so-called “boyfriend loophole,” which would prohibit people from owning guns if they were convicted of domestic violence against a dating partner or were subject to a domestic violence restraining order. Currently, only domestic abusers who are married are barred from having a firearm.
Biden vows to sign:
The deal, though far short of what President Joe Biden called for in the wake of the Uvalde shooting, appears on track to pass the Senate.
“The principles they announced today show the value of dialogue and cooperation,” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said. “I continue to hope their discussions yield a bipartisan product that makes significant headway on key issues like mental health and school safety, respects the Second Amendment, earns broad support in the Senate and makes a difference for our country.”
Biden urged the Senate to quickly pass the bill, saying that there are “no excuses for delay.”
“Each day that passes, more children are killed in this country,” he said. “The sooner it comes to my desk, the sooner I can sign it, and the sooner we can use these measures to save lives.”
