Senators Strike Deal On Gun Control Bill—Here’s What May Change (And What Won’t)

Topline

The two lead negotiators on a bipartisan gun control bill announced Tuesday they reached a deal on the language of legislation, which, if passed, would be the most significant federal gun control measures enacted in decades.

A proposed bipartisan Senate bill includes several new gun control measures, such as enhanced … [+] background checks aimed at buyers under the age of 21, according to Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.).

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Key Facts

Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), the top Democratic negotiator, said on the Senate floor the bill would fund a federal program to encourage states to invest in red-flag laws, which allow courts to suspend gun access for individuals considered a danger to themselves or others.

The bill would also mandate “enhanced background checks” for gun purchasers under 21, including “a call to the local police department” to rule out buyers law enforcement suspects could pose a threat, according to Murphy.

Murphy and Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) said the bill closes what’s known as the “boyfriend” loophole by prohibiting those convicted of misdemeanor non-spousal domestic abuse from purchasing a firearm for at least five years.

Existing federal gun bans relating to domestic abuse only applied in relationships involving a spouse, a partner the abuser lives with or a partner the abuser has a child with.

A “historic investment in mental health,” funding for school-based health centers and new statutes to prevent gun trafficking are also in the bill, Murphy said.

Cornyn, who spoke on the Senate floor before Murphy, laid out several measures he said were not in the bill, such as an assault weapons ban, universal background checks and a mandatory waiting period for gun purchases.

Crucial Quote

“This bill will be too little for many. It’ll be too much for others,” Murphy said.

Key Background

A small bipartisan group of senators have been negotiating new gun control measures for weeks after a string of mass shootings, in particular the massacre of 19 children and two teachers at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, led to public outcry for action on guns. The group announced an agreement on the framework for a bill on June 12, which key Republican senators, like Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), said they supported, sending a strong signal the potential bill would attract the 10 Republican votes required to overcome the Senate filibuster. But lawmakers were bogged down in final details over the past week, such as how to close the boyfriend loophole, which cast doubt on whether a deal on the bill’s language would be reached.

What To Watch For

Senators have a deadline of the end of this week if they hope to pass the bill swiftly. The Senate is set to go on a two-week recess starting next week.

Tangent

Cornyn was loudly booed during a speech he gave at the Texas Republican Convention last week, despite claiming he kept Democrats’ “gun-grabbing wishlist off the table.”