Gun control background checks

Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) referenced the Senate gun control bill Tuesday, noting that he, nine other Republicans, and the ten Democrats working on the legislation together found “space for compromise” on gun control. The Texas Tribune quoted Cornyn: We’ve talked, we’ve debated, we’ve disagreed and finally we’ve reached an agreement among the four of us, but obviously this is not something that is going to become law or fail to become law because of a small group of senators. The truth is we had a larger group of 20 senators, 10 Republicans and 10 Democrats, come together and sign on to an agreed set of principles, and I believe that as the senators see the text that supports those principles, they will see we’ve tried our best to be true to what those agreed principles should be. He stressed that he and the bipartisan group of Senators found “space for compromise” on gun control. There is no room for compromise with our God-given rights @JohnCornyn … [Read more...] about John Cornyn: We Found ‘Space for Compromise’ on Gun Control

Breitbart News reported on June 6 that 250 Republican donors signed a letter in support of Sen. John Cornyn’s (R-TX) work with Democrats to secure bipartisan gun control. On June 22 the Dallas Morning News noted the number of signatories had grown to 600. The letter says, in part, “We vote for Republican Senators. We believe in the Second Amendment. Like many we are struggling for good answers to our current problem of gun violence in America.” The signatories voice support for red flag laws, expanded background checks, and raising the age for legal gun purchases to 21. “Most law enforcement experts believe these measures would make a difference,” the letter says. “And recent polls of fellow conservatives suggest that there is strong support for such gun-safety measures.” The language of Cornyn’s gun control deal was revealed on Tuesday, and Breitbart News pointed out that the bill expands background checks for some gun buyers, uses taxpayer money to incentivize … [Read more...] about 600 GOP Donors Supporting John Cornyn’s Gun Control Push

The U.S. Senate passed new gun control legislation on Thursday in a bipartisan vote that saw the chamber approve the first gun safety bill in 28 years in the wake of recent mass shootings. Senators passed the Safer Communities Act by a vote of 65 to 33, with a majority of Republican members opposed. Enough Republicans joined Democrats to surpass the 60-vote threshold needed to overcome the filibuster. The legislation includes measures to enhance background checks on gun purchasers under 21 years old, it creates new criminal penalties for so-called straw purchases and for gun trafficking and it includes new funding for states to administer "red flag" laws and for mental health and school safety, among other measures. The bipartisan push for new gun safety measures comes after a mass shooting at a Tops supermarket in Buffalo, New York, that left 10 people dead and a major incident at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, that saw 19 children and two teachers killed. Here … [Read more...] about Full list of GOP senators to vote against bipartisan gun control bill

Fifteen Republican senators caved Thursday night and voted “yes” on the gun control package Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) worked with Democrats to create. Cornyn’s gun control bill expands background checks for some gun buyers, uses taxpayer money to incentivize states to enact red flag laws, and broadens the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) prohibited purchasers list by using domestic violence statutes to cover dating relationships. It also heightens punishments for gun crimes that had nothing to do with Uvalde, Buffalo, Parkland, Las Vegas, Orlando, or Sandy Hook. CBS News reported that the legislation passed Thursday night by a vote of 65-33. Here are the 15 Republican Senators who caved and voted for the new gun controls: Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO) Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC) Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) Sen. … [Read more...] about The 15 GOP Senators Who Caved and Voted ‘Yes’ on Gun Control

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) praised the gun controls passed by the Senate on Thursday, describing them as “common-sense guardrails” that increase safety. CBS News quoted McConnell as he simultaneously praised the Supreme Court ruling in NYSRPA v. Bruen and the Senate’s passage of Sen. John Cornyn’s (R-TX) gun control measure Thursday night. McConnell said, “I am proud of these two complementary victories that will make our country freer and safer at the same time. Law-abiding Americans will go to bed tonight with significantly stronger Second Amendment rights than they had this morning, while new commonsense guardrails around convicted criminals and mental illness are now on their way to becoming law.” Cornyn’s gun control package expands background checks for some gun buyers, uses taxpayer money to incentivize states to enact red flag laws, and broadens the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) prohibited purchasers list by using … [Read more...] about Mitch McConnell Praises Senate-Passed Gun Controls

After each of the repeated mass shootings that now provide a tragic backbeat to American life, the same doomed dance of legislation quickly begins. As the outraged demands for action are inevitably derailed in Congress, disappointed gun-control advocates, and perplexed ordinary citizens , point their fingers at the influence of the National Rifle Association or the intransigent opposition of congressional Republicans. Those are both legitimate factors, but the stalemate over gun-control legislation since Bill Clinton’s first presidential term ultimately rests on a much deeper problem: the growing crisis of majority rule in American politics. Polls are clear that while Americans don’t believe gun control would solve all of the problems associated with gun violence, a commanding majority supports the central priorities of gun-control advocates, including universal background checks and an assault-weapons ban. Yet despite this overwhelming consensus, it’s highly unlikely that the … [Read more...] about The Real Reason America Doesn’t Have Gun Control

Senate Republicans seem to think they are defusing a potential problem by playing along with anti-gun activists and agreeing to a legislative "compromise" on guns. They assume reaching a deal would dampen criticism of their support for gun rights and do them some good at the polls. They are mistaken. A new gun control bill would be just another instance of GOP moderates being enticed by their liberal opponents into doing something that will undermine support from the conservative base they need if they're going to take back control of Congress this fall. The impetus for the bill —which was passed by the Senate on Tuesday with the votes of 14 Republicans—was the news of mass shootings in Buffalo and Uvalde, Texas. The outrage and frustration over the frequency of these atrocities created an opening for Democrats to return to their demands for more gun control legislation. Restricting the right to own a gun wouldn't have prevented any or all of the mass shootings. In a … [Read more...] about GOP compromise on gun rights aren’t winning votes or solving problems | Opinion

Senate bargainers reached agreement Tuesday on a bipartisan gun violence bill , potentially teeing up final passage by week's end on an incremental but landmark package that would stand as Congress’ response to mass shootings in Texas and New York that shook the nation. Lawmakers released the 80-page bill nine days after agreeing to a framework for the plan and 29 years after Congress last enacted major firearms curbs. It cleared an initial procedural hurdle by 64-34, with 14 Republicans joining all 48 Democrats and two allied independents in voting yes. That strongly supported a prediction by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., of approval later this week. Passage by the Democratic-led House could follow quickly. ALSO READ: Gun laws in countries outside the U.S. Though Republicans blocked tougher restrictions sought by Democrats, the accord marks an election-year breakthrough on an issue that pits the GOP's staunch gun-owning and rural voters against … [Read more...] about U.S. Senators release gun violence bill after bipartisan compromise

Donald Trump took aim Wednesday at Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell for helping to advance a bipartisan gun safety bill, even though the legislation includes measures the former president has backed in the past. McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, was one of 14 GOP senators who voted Tuesday night to open debate on the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. In a post on his Truth Social page , Trump sounded alarm bells on the proposed legislation while citing McConnell and another Republican senator who helped lead the bipartisan talks behind the bill . "The deal on 'Gun Control' currently being structured and pushed in the Senate by Radical Left Democrats , with the help of Mitch McConnell, RINO Senator John Cornyn of Texas, and others, will go down in history as the first step in the movement to TAKE YOUR GUNS AWAY. Republicans , be careful what you wish for!!!" Trump wrote. The term "RINO" stands for Republican in Name Only. The Bipartisan Safer Communities … [Read more...] about Trump attacks McConnell for advancing gun measures he previously supported

Republicans are lashing out at GOP senators backing bipartisan gun legislation as "traitors" who are helping Democrats to "confiscate" firearms. A bipartisan gun bill cleared its first procedural hurdle with the support of 14 Republicans in the Senate on Tuesday, as members of the GOP took to social media to admonish their colleagues that voted for the legislation. Calls to strengthen gun laws have recently been growing louder in response to last month's deadly mass shootings at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, and a grocery store in Buffalo, New York. Although the bill that the bipartisan senators agreed on is significantly watered down from Democratic proposals that have been consistently rejected by Republicans for decades, some GOP members of Congress and other conservatives quickly lashed out at the Senate Republicans who backed the bill. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene , a Georgia Republican, accused the GOP senators of "helping Democrats confiscate … [Read more...] about GOP senators who favor gun bill called traitors, confiscators by GOP peers