Gun that cut fingers off5/1/2023 Moreover, Republicans may use any modest gun safety deal to argue for years to come that Congress has dealt with the issue already. There is some evidence that mass shootings fade from collective consciousness in a matter of days the killings in Uvalde were nearly two weeks ago. “When I talk to folks who are concerned about expanding the background check, they weren’t aware those kind of crimes weren’t relevant in issuing an approval to purchase a firearm.”Īt the same time, there’s some fear among Democrats that the horrific school murders are already fading in the minds of Americans as negotiations play out. “You have tens of thousands of that, had they been committed 18 or over, would have been a disqualifying event,” Tillis said, emphasizing negotiators were closing in on a broad agreement. Both Tillis and Cornyn are close to McConnell, who has encouraged the negotiations. Democrats are privately advocating to add a federal waiting period for people younger than 21 that seek to purchase firearms, trying to push Republicans out of their comfort zone, according to a person familiar with the negotiations.Īt the moment, Tillis said he is not receiving “significant pushback” to the idea of enhancing those background checks. Tillis and Cornyn are entertaining enhanced background checks for prospective gun buyers younger than 21, hoping they can encourage states to put juvenile criminal records into the federal background system and potentially prevent people charged with serious crimes as children from buying guns as adults. John Cornyn (R-Texas), Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), they are still pushing behind the scenes to shape the legislation. And though Democrats are outwardly deferential to Murphy and his negotiating partners, Sens. But if it’s a step forward and makes us safer as a nation, we’ve got to do it,” said Senate Judiciary Chair Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), who is also the majority whip.įor Democrats facing perhaps just a few more months of full control of Washington, responding to a shooter who killed 19 children and two teachers in Uvalde, Texas, is proving a complex balancing act. A 50-50 Senate, a 50-50 committee, a divisive issue. Schumer allows that getting GOP buy-in is a “difficult hurdle to overcome” but is not setting hard deadlines. That means they barely have to lift a finger to watch the issue vex Republicans.Īnd so Democratic leaders are placing no limits on the negotiations, despite their strong feelings about approving more restrictive gun laws. Though they don’t emphasize it publicly, Democrats believe there’s a good chance that internal GOP divisions scuttle any gun safety deal in the end. It’s a pragmatic turn, reflecting how differently the guns issue plays among a 50-member Democratic caucus that’s tried to attract GOP support to gun legislation for nearly a decade now. “And I think now is the time to do whatever can be done and then work on a larger majority to do the rest.”Īfter already forcing the GOP to publicly reject voting rights and abortion access legislation this year, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is giving Murphy (D-Conn.) an enormous amount of breathing room to cut a guns deal with Republican senators. And I want anything that’s positive to move forward,” she added. Because at this point, we just have to move something forward. “I will fully support anything they get done.
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