In response to the wave of gun violence ravaging the country, US senators agreed on a bill on Tuesday (21st) to restrict access to firearms.
In response to the wave of gun violence ravaging the country, US senators agreed on a bill on Tuesday (21st) to restrict access to firearms.
Members of Congress defined a limited package of reforms, but considered the first significant federal firearms control in the past 30 years.
The bipartisan group, which has been working on drafting the bill for weeks, is confident it will receive adequate support from the Democrat and Republican wings.
“This bipartisan gun safety law is a step forward and will save lives. This law is urgently needed, although it is not all we want,” Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement. Said.
Biden has called for a complete ban on assault rifles. Senator Chris Murphy, who is leading the negotiations on behalf of the Democrats, praised the bill, calling it “the most important law against gun violence in nearly 30 years.”
Lawmakers worked under duress for weeks. The vote was urgent, given the tragedies that have recently occurred in the country: among them, the murders of 19 children in Uvalde, Texas, and 10 blacks, both killed in a supermarket in Buffalo, New York. May.
The last relevant US federal gun control law was passed in 1994, prohibiting the manufacture of large-capacity assault rifles and magazines for civilian use.
But according to the Gun Violence Archive, the rule ended ten years later, and there has been no real reform effort since, despite the average daily mass shootings rising to 11 this year.
On June 12, the bipartisan group of senators passed increased background checks for buyers under the age of 21 and a framework that funds mental health and school safety programs.
The plan also provides funding, in addition to program funding, to encourage states to implement “red flag” laws aimed at removing firearms from people deemed a threat.
Democratic leaders in the Senate hope to pass the bill next weekend, when members begin a two-week recess.
The Democrat-dominated House of Representatives is expected to stay in session over the weekend or bring in representatives to send the bill to Biden during the holidays.
The NRA (National Riffle Association of America), which represents the gun lobby in the country, criticized the text, stating that it could be used to restrict legal gun purchases. “The bill contains undefined and very general provisions that affect our individual freedoms,” the NRA said in a statement.
(with AFP)
source: Noticias
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