Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut said on Sunday that he was "more confident than ever" that lawmakers will be able to reach a bipartisan agreement on a gun law deal but warned that it would most likely not include many of President Joe Biden's agendas.
In a statement, Murphy said that he has never been part of negotiations as serious as the recent discussions about addressing gun violence. The Democrat also noted that there are more Republicans at the table talking about changing gun laws in the United States and investing in mental health than at any time since Sandy Hook.
Gun Law Deal
The lawmaker referenced the mass shooting that occurred in 2012 at an elementary school in Connecticut, noting that he has also been part of many failed negotiations in the past. This has led him to be sober-minded about the new deal's chances of passing.
Later, Murphy said that while he was more confident than ever that the deal would get somewhere, he was more anxious about failure this time around. There are ongoing gun legislation bipartisan talks in the wake of mass shootings in Buffalo, New York, and Uvalde, Texas, as per CNN.
If a bipartisan deal comes together, it is expected to fall well short of the parameters that President Biden laid out in a White House address on Thursday. The Democratic leader called for renewing the federal assault weapons ban that expired in 2004 and significantly expanding federal background checks for gun buyers and removing the firearms industry's immunity from lawsuits.
However, a proposal that would encourage states to set up red-flag laws that would allow authorities to keep guns away from people thought to be a threat to their communities or themselves is also being negotiated. Similarly, authorities are discussing measures to tackle school security and mental health.
According to the Washington Post, another member of the small group of senators that are negotiating a potential deal, Sen. Patrick Toomey, said that the discussions, while "intensive," do not "guarantee any outcome." He noted that it felt like the nation was closer together since he has been in the Senate.
A Series of Mass Shootings
The negotiators, along with Democratic leaders, have seized on a growing sense of national outrage following the May 14 attack that resulted in the death of 10 Black people at a Buffalo supermarket and the May 24 mass shooting that resulted in the death of 19 school children and two teachers inside Robb Elementary School in Uvalde.
In the wake of the two horrifying tragedies, other mass shootings occurred in several regions within the United States, including Tulsa, Ames, Iowa, Philadelphia, and Chattanooga. In an estimation, officials said there have already been more than 200 mass shootings this year alone.
On Sunday, Toomey also said that Biden has not been "helpful" amid congressional negotiations on gun reform. The senator said that the Democratic leader might have been a president who would "reach across the aisle to try to bring people together." However, Toomey noted that Biden has chosen to side with the far left of his party and has not really reached out to Republicans, The Hill reported.
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