A bipartisan group of American senators unveiled an agreement on principle for gun safety legislation on Sunday, marking a historic breakthrough but also stirring ire from several Republicans who have opposed such regulations.
The agreement provides an overview of a forthcoming package of reforms to address one of the United States' most pressing and divisive issues in the wake of several mass shootings, most notably in Uvalde, Texas, and Buffalo, New York.
Bipartisan Gun Deal
One of the biggest factors lawmakers still need to sort out in the framework agreement is how the legislation will be written. The announcement also revealed the support of 10 Republican senators, which would give the proposal enough support from the right to overcome the Senate filibuster.
However, maintaining the support to allow the proposal to make it through the legislative process will be a massive challenge for lawmakers to accomplish before the next congressional recess in two weeks. But Democrats have continued to support their ambitious goal of drafting the bill and keeping Republicans on board before the next recess, as per CNN.
Despite the bipartisan announcement, many details of the plan are still unsettled, according to an aide who provided a detailed rundown on how some of the proposed provisions would work. This includes "red flag" laws which are considered one of the most significant pieces of the framework.
These laws are aimed at keeping guns out of the hands of those who pose a threat to themselves or others. The legislation would provide significant funding to help states create new red flag laws. However, the 19 states, and Washington, D.C., already have these laws on the books. They will then become eligible for funding to improve the effectiveness of their established programs.
According to the Washington Post, the bipartisan agreement stated that families were scared and argued that it was the government's duty to come together and get something done. It called for the restoration of safety and security in various communities across the nation.
Addressing Gun Violence
On top of supporting red flag laws, the deal would also include federal criminal background checks for gun buyers younger than 21, requiring a mandatory search of juvenile justice and mental health records, a historic first in the United States.
Other provisions of the bipartisan agreement would prevent gun sales to domestic violence offenders other than spouses, closing what is often called the "boyfriend loophole." The deal also clarifies which gun sellers are required to register as federal firearms dealers and, thus, run background checks on customers and establish new federal offenses related to gun trafficking.
Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene quickly expressed her disagreement with the bipartisan deal, aiming at GOP senators who supported the proposal. On the other hand, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and President Joe Biden welcomed the deal.
Greene took to Twitter hours after the announcement of the deal and attacked Senate Republicans over their willingness to work with Democrats in drafting laws to make the U.S. a safer place. She said, "The Senate Republicans are everything wrong in the GOP. Too many of them have helped Joe Biden pass his America Last agenda even more than the Progressive Democrats in the House," Newsweek reported.
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