Bipartisan progress for revised gun laws receives support from Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut after a series of mass shootings in the United States.
Lawmakers are ironing out the details of revised "red flag" legislation that the two hope can win sufficient GOP support to overcome a filibuster in the Senate. The news was revealed to four people familiar with the discussion who asked not to be identified publicly to be able to speak.
Bipartisan Support of Revised Gun Laws
The two senators later confirmed in statements that their discussions regarding the revised legislation were making progress. Recently, the two lawmakers have been making frequent phone calls to each other and have been working closely together in reviewing a "red flag" bill that they co-sponsored in 2019.
Graham and Blumenthal have been making revisions that they believe can enable a similar, tweaked proposal to win wide support in the divided Senate. Currently, the updated proposal would focus on establishing federal grants for states to urge the creation or bolstering of "red flag" laws," as per CBS News.
A "red flag" law, in most instances across the United States, enables law-enforcement officials to temporarily seize firearms from individuals who are seen as threats to themselves or other people if they are given a court order to do so.
The only other challenge remaining for Graham and Blumenthal is crafting legislative language on due process and judicial review that does not push wary Republicans away. However, it should also not appear to overly soften their initial bill and frustrate Democrats who are looking to be strict with gun laws in the country.
According to the New York Times, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer negotiated a compromise on new gun laws in the wake of the recent tragic incidents. On Sunday, United States President Joe Biden promised families of the victims in Uvalde, Texas, assurance that the government will do something about gun violence.
Recent Mass Shootings
The Democrat's remarks raised the pressure on a Senate in which filibusters and disunity have been the watchwords of the past year. Raising expectations that a bipartisan deal on gun safety, mental health, and school security be possible, Schumer intensified the spotlight on the issue.
The situation in the U.S. comes as, on Monday, the Canadian government banned handgun sales and proposed legislation requiring that most owners of "military-style assault weapons" turn over their rifles to a government buyback program.
Nothing like the Canadian process is being done in Washington but even a compromise means scaling back gun control legislation that would be worth it, said Sen. Christopher S. Murphy of Connecticut. He is the Democrats' chief negotiator and his remarks seek to get legislative momentum for more stringent measures.
House Democrats are also preparing gun control legislation in response to the recent shootings with a package of bills. One set of proposals called the "Protecting Our Kids Act," would, among others, raise the age from 18 to 21 to purchase certain firearms like semi-automatic centerfire rifles and shotguns, deter gun trafficking, bolster safe gun storage, and prevent untraceable guns like "ghost guns," US News reported.
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