Topline
Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) faced a loud backlash from fellow Republicans on Friday over negotiating a bipartisan gun reform package, with his speech at the Texas Republican Convention overshadowed by a chorus of boos even as the longtime conservative senator sought to assuage the crowd by saying he kept “Biden’s gun-grabbing wishlist off the table.”
Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) listens during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in … [+]
Key Facts
Cornyn spoke for around 14 minutes Friday afternoon to near-constant jeers as he promoted his talks aimed at “keeping guns out of the hands of criminals and the mentally ill.”
Texas’ senior senator is the lead Republican negotiator pursuing bipartisan gun reform legislation after last month’s mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas.
A group of senators announced Sunday they had agreed to a framework for a bill, which includes the creation of a federal grant program to encourage states to enact red flag laws and requires the inclusion of mental health records in background checks for gun buyers under the age of 21.
Cornyn told the crowd he had quashed ideas like an assault weapons ban, universal background checks and a ban on high-capacity magazines, winning no respite from the jeering.
Crucial Quote
“I will not under any circumstances support new restrictions for law-abiding citizens,” Cornyn said. “The framework that we are working on is consistent with that red line.”
What To Watch For
Lawmakers still have not agreed on the text of the legislation, with the Senate set to go on a two-week recess after this week. The main unresolved issue appears to be over wording the closure of the so-called “boyfriend loophole.” Existing federal law allows domestic violence offenders to be banned from buying guns if they abuse a spouse, a partner they live with or a partner they have a child with. The framework announced Sunday called for closing the loophole by also banning gun purchases from those who abuse a partner within a “continuing relationship of a romantic or intimate nature.”
Key Background
The plan has received criticism from both sides, but still appears likely to result in the most significant federal action on gun control in decades. Many on the political left believe the proposal does not go far enough, and House Democrats last week passed a package with significantly stronger restrictions, such as raising the age to buy semi-automatic rifles from 18 to 21. But hard-right Republicans have also blasted the effort, claiming it’s a slippery slope toward more gun control. Former President Donald Trump just days after the Uvalde shooting slammed calls for gun control as a “grotesque effort.”
Further Reading
McConnell Supports Bipartisan Gun Control Deal (Forbes)
House Passes Sweeping Gun Control Measures—But Senate Republicans Will Spike Plan (Forbes)
Trump Demands ‘Impenetrable Security’ At Schools Following Texas Massacre—But No Gun Control (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicholasreimann/2022/06/17/cornyn-drowned-out-by-boos-at-texas-gop-convention-for-negotiating-on-gun-control/