Senate

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

Senator Kevin Cramer suffered a "serious injury" to his right hand while doing yard work over the weekend and may need to have the tip of his pinkie finger amputated. In a statement shared on Twitter Wednesday, the North Dakota Republican said that his injury required "immediate surgery" and that he is remaining in his home state so he can be "close to medical care as there is a high risk of infection and the possible need for amputation." "I am alert and in good spirits," his statement added. "Although I am missing this week of votes and hearings, I am monitoring Senate business closely and in constant contact with my colleagues and staff. I plan to return to Washington DC after the Independence Day state work period and expect to be doling out a lot of left-handed fist bumps." Cramer told Forum News Service that the tip of his finger may require amputation. He said a large rock rolled onto his ring and pinkie fingers, ripping off the tip of the latter, which was … [Read more...] about Senator Kevin Cramer may need amputation after yard work injury

A bipartisan group of two influential US senators has introduced a resolution in the Senate, condemning Chinese military aggression to change the status quo at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with India and calling for a diplomatic solution. Indian and Chinese troops have been locked in a bitter standoff in several areas along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh since May 5. The situation deteriorated after the June 15 Galwan Valley clashes in which 20 Indian Army personnel were killed and an unconfirmed number of Chinese soldiers died. The resolution was introduced by Senator John Cornyn, Republican Senate Majority Whip, and Senator Mark Warner, ranking member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, on Thursday. Cornyn and Warner are co-chairs of the Senate India Caucus. The Senate resolution follows the passage of a similar resolution by the House of Representatives as part of the National Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA) last month. "As a cofounder of … [Read more...] about Roar Against Dragon in US Senate Grows as Bipartisan Resolution Condemns China’s Move to Change LAC Status Quo With India

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 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

US senators advanced a bipartisan bill late Thursday addressing the epidemic of gun violence convulsing the country, approving a narrow package of new firearms restrictions and billions of dollars in mental health and school security funding. The reforms — which are almost certain to be rubber-stamped by the House of Representatives on Friday — fall short of the demands of gun safety advocates and President Joe Biden, but have been hailed as a life-saving breakthrough after almost 30 years of inaction by Congress. “This bipartisan legislation will help protect Americans,” Biden said in a statement shortly after the Senate vote. “Kids in schools and communities will be safer because of it.” The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which was backed by all 50 Democratic senators and 15 Republicans, includes enhanced background checks for buyers under the age of 21, $11 billion in funding for mental health and $2 billion for school safety programs. It also provides funding to … [Read more...] about ‘Historic Day’: For The First Time In Decades, US Senate Approves Bipartisan Gun Safety Bill

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

The U.S. Senate passed the most significant gun control legislation in three decades on Thursday, in response to several recent mass shootings that rocked the nation and claimed dozens of lives. The U.S. is the country where gun ownership is highest — with some 120.5 guns owned per 100 people, according to World Population Review . On average, that's more than one gun per American. At least 279 people have died in mass shootings in America so far this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive, a non-profit that tracks such incidents through police reports and other public sources. Just last month, there was a shooting in a grocery store in Buffalo, New York, and another at an elementary school in Texas that left 21 people dead, including 19 children. The new gun control legislation comes just hours after the Republican-dominated Supreme Court ruled Americans have the constitutional right to carry handguns in public for self-defense, exposing a deep divide in … [Read more...] about Full list of Republican senators to vote for bipartisan gun control bill

Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene , a Georgia Republican, vowed to "remove" GOP senators from office for backing the bipartisan gun bill, describing the 15 lawmakers as "sellouts." The Senate passed the bipartisan legislation late Thursday in a 65-33 vote, marking the most significant step toward gun reform from Congress in nearly three decades. Fifteen GOP senators , including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell , voted in favor of the bill, despite the strong opposition of former President Donald Trump . Because the House is controlled by Democrats and needs only a slim majority for legislation to pass, the bill is expected to be approved by that chamber as well. President Joe Biden has urged the House to pass the legislation swiftly and plans to sign it. Greene, a staunch Trump loyalist, shared a video to Gettr on Thursday attacking the legislation and ripping the Republicans who support it. "To the Republican senators who are helping Biden take away … [Read more...] about Marjorie Taylor Greene vows to “remove” GOP senators who backed gun 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