Here’s what they are doing…
On Sunday (June 12), 20 Senators led by Sens. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and John Cornyn (R-Texas) announced that they had agreed to a “commonsense proposal” aimed at curbing gun violence.
The bipartisan comes in response to the deadly mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, in which a lone gunman opened fire on a fourth-grade classroom, killing 19 students and two teachers.
The most significant aspect of Sunday’s announcement is that 10 Republican Senators signed the framework, making it possible that the proposal could surpass the 60 vote threshold needed to overcome the filibuster to pass the legislation.
Following the announcement, President Joe Biden, who has been urging lawmakers to pass gun control laws, applauded the bipartisan group, saying the framework “would be the most significant gun safety legislation to pass Congress in decades.”
The nine-point plan focuses much of its resources on mental health, including investing billions in children and family mental health services and funding school-based mental health services.
The proposal will also provide federal resources to states to set up red flag laws, keeping guns away from people considered a danger to the community, fund new security measures at schools, and require stricter criminal background checks on gun buyers younger than 21.
In Sunday’s joint statement the Senate negotiators said, “Today, we are announcing a commonsense, bipartisan proposal to protect America’s children, keep our schools safe and reduce the threat of violence across our country.”
They continued, “Families are scared, and it is our duty to come together and get something done that will help restore their sense of safety and security in their communities.”
