Gun violence

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

Wednesday, during an appearance on FNC’s “Hannity,” Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) criticized Democrat efforts to crack down on gun violence using red flag laws and other measures he deemed “unconstitutional.” According to the Texas Republican, by disarming some in the public with a low standard of proof made them less safe. “Well, Sean, I agree with you, and tragically, we’ve seen the same pattern play out over and over again,” he said. “Every time there is a horrific mass murder, there have been far too many of them. I was in Uvalde the day after that horrific attack when that psychopath murdered 19 children and two teachers. And it is horrific. We need to stop them. But instantaneously, when there’s a criminal attack, a mass murder, we have a debate in Washington, and there are two approaches. One approach is target the bad guys, target the criminals, target the violent felons and those with serious mental illness who try to illegally buy firearms. Prosecute them, put them in jail, get … [Read more...] about Ted Cruz: Red Flag Laws, Democrat Approach to Gun Violence ‘Unconstitutional’

The Senate overcame a decades-long legislative log jam by passing a bill intended to reduce gun violence, but left out a key provision from the last time Congress took up firearm safety. The Senate passed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act on a 65-33 bipartisan vote Thursday evening. Spurred by the elementary school shooting Uvalde, Texas, and other recent massacres, the legislation seeks to keep firearms from dangerous individuals. However, gun control advocates pointed out that the bill doesn't reinstate the 1994 ban on semiautomatic military-style rifles that has been credited with reducing firearm-related violence. Fifteen Republicans senators joined Democrats in voting for the legislation, which allowed it to clear a legislative filibuster in the evenly divided chamber. "This is the sweet spot," said Republican Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Senate's minority leader. McConnell, who has an A+ rating from the National Rifle Association, said the bill would make … [Read more...] about Senate passes first gun bill in 28 years, but it does less than 1994 law

Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene clashed with a journalist over gun violence in America at a press conference and the video has gone viral on Twitter . Greene was speaking during a press conference at the Capitol on Wednesday when she got into an argument with a reporter asking questions. The British journalist, who hasn't yet been identified, argued the U.K. didn't have the same rates of murders as the U.S, as the pair discussed gun violence. The dispute comes a day after the Senate took steps toward passing major federal gun safety legislation in the wake of the Robb Elementary Texas school shooting. The shooting claimed the lives of 19 children and two teachers and has reignited the debate surrounding gun ownership in the U.S. "When British press wants to argue about our God-Given American gun rights, my answer is: 'go back to your own country,'" Greene wrote as a caption on the shared video. The clip so far has over 300,000 views. "It's our job to … [Read more...] about Marjorie Taylor Greene clashes with reporter over gun control law in video

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

A toddler in Louisiana is recovering in the hospital after they shot themself while playing with a gun, according to police. Baker Police Chief Carl Dunn said the 3-year-old child picked up the gun and was playing with it when it fired at a home in the 2300 block of Ray Weiland Drive on Tuesday, June 21. The firearm had been left unattended in the home when the toddler found the gun and picked it up, according to CBS affiliate WAFB 9. The Gun Violence Archive, a database that collects information about shootings from across the U.S., said 349 children aged 0 to 11 this year were injured in the country after having been shot. The database also found that at least 22 children aged between 0 to 11 had been injured in shootings in Louisiana this year. Chief Dunn told CBS affiliate WAFB 9 the child's father had been taken into custody but had not been charged as of Tuesday. The toddler is reportedly in a stable condition and is expected to recover. Chief Dunn told the … [Read more...] about Toddler, 3, shoots themself after playing with dad’s loaded gun: Police

Frankie Taggart (Agence France-Presse) (The Jakarta Post) PREMIUM Washington, DC   ● Thu, June 23 2022 United States senators unveiled a bill on Tuesday addressing the epidemic of gun violence plaguing the country as they locked down a narrow set of reforms that were nevertheless hailed as the first significant firearms controls in a generation. The cross-party group, which had been working for weeks on the wording of the legislation, voiced confidence that it would have enough support to pass the Senate and that it could be signed into law by President Joe Biden as soon as next week. The limited proposals do not go as far as reforms called for by Biden, such as an all-out ban on assault rifles. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters … [Read more...] about US lawmakers agree on bipartisan gun safety bill

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

The debate over gun restrictions bothers me for two seemingly contradictory reasons. One is that little has been done to ban mass killing machines outright. A bipartisan proposal in the Senate would at least limit access by the mentally ill. What it wouldn't do is prevent the not-yet-certified insane from buying these guns. The worst mass shooter in U.S. history—the monster who killed 58 and wounded over 500 in Las Vegas—was just your average loner with low self-esteem. What the debate often lacks is acknowledgement of the real fears that drive many a reluctant gun owner to become one. That is, the fear of becoming victim of a violent crime. Let me put my cards on the table. I own a gun. Here's why: Years ago, we were staying in my mother-in-law's house in a leafy New Jersey suburb when my husband urgently told me to go hide in a closet. As it happened, some guy was crawling on a porch overhang and trying to break into a second-floor window. When the would-be burglar realized … [Read more...] about The conversation about guns could be smarter | Opinion