By Dareh Gregorian, Julie Tsirkin, Sahil Kapur and Frank Thorp V -
NBC News
A bipartisan group of senators cleared some last-minute hurdles and released legislation on Tuesday on a narrow set of provisions to combat gun violence, including state funding to enforce "red flag" laws and improving background checks.
“Today, we have finalized bipartisan, common-sense legislation to protect America's children, keep our schools safe, and reduce the threat of violence across the country,” said Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Connecticut.
He and Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, made a joint statement along with Sens. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Arizona, and Thom Tillis, R-North Carolina.
"Our legislation will save lives and will not infringe on the Second Amendment rights of any law-abiding American. We look forward to gaining broad bipartisan support and turning our common sense legislation into law," they added.
[The police chief was "the only thing that stopped" the agents from quickly neutralizing Uvalde's murderer]
Cornyn said earlier Tuesday that senators agreed to address the loophole in limiting gun rights for non-marital partners who are convicted of domestic abuse.
"Unless someone is convicted of domestic abuse under the laws of their state, their gun rights will not be affected," he said on the Senate floor.
"Those who are convicted of a misdemeanor non-spousal domestic abuse -- not a felony, but a misdemeanor domestic violence -- will have the opportunity, after five years, to regain their Second Amendment rights. But they have have a clean record.
The legislation will offer "red flag" law relief to all states, including those that don't have them, that can be used for other crisis prevention programs designed to prevent people in crisis from resorting to violence, said Cornyn, the main negotiator of the GOP.
"Red flag" laws allow police or family members to petition the courts to keep firearms away from people who are considered a risk to themselves or others.
Rifles on display at the National Rifle Association (NRA) convention, during their annual meeting in Houston, Texas, on May 28, 2022. Patrick T. Fallon / AFP via Getty Images
Determining domestic violence gun bans and support for "red flag" laws were the last two major sticking points between the top senators: Murphy, Cornyn, Sinema and Tillis.
“This (abusive partner) provision alone is going to save the lives of many women who unfortunately die at the hands of a boyfriend or ex-boyfriend who is chasing them with a gun,” Senator Murphy said.
[The Uvalde police had rifles and a ballistic shield but decided to wait to confront the attacker]
The legislator added that the bill improves background checks for people between the ages of 18 and 21, allowing up to three days to run the checks, and 10 more days if there are indications of concern.
He said it would contain tougher penalties for gun trafficking and "clarify" which dealers must register as holders of federal firearms licenses, which would require them to run background checks.
And he said the bill expands money for mental health and school health.
They boo a Texas senator who negotiated measures on gun control, but they applaud Ted Cruz
June 18, 202200:48
The National Rifle Association was quick to announce its opposition to the bill, arguing in a statement that the legislation "does little to really address violent crime, while opening the door to unnecessary burdens on the exercise of freedom of Second Amendment by law-abiding gun owners."
The evenly split Senate is expected to hold a procedural vote on the legislation as soon as Tuesday night, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York, said he hopes to pass the bill. bill this week.
The initial vote would only require a simple majority to begin processing the legislation.
It remains to be seen if there will be 60 votes to do away with a filibuster and end debate on the bill later in the voting process.
Two-year-old boy kills his father with a bullet in Florida
June 7, 202200:26
Schumer said in a statement that he "will now put this life-saving legislation on the floor of the Senate for a vote, with an initial procedural vote as soon as tonight, and after that, we will move to final approval as soon as possible." possible."
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, who has long opposed toughening gun laws, issued a brief statement after the text was released, saying, "I support the text of the bill. bill that Senator Cornyn and our colleagues have crafted.”
[Why toxic masculinity is connected to mass shootings in the US?]
"They have put together a common-sense package of grassroots measures that will help make these horrific incidents less likely, while fully upholding the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens," he added.
If the legislation passes the Senate, it will head to the House of Representatives, where Speaker Nancy Pelosi has praised the deal outline as a step forward.
The bipartisan group worked over the weekend after negotiations stalled over a dispute over how to close the discussion on the definition of a partner in the case of those accused of domestic violence.
On Thursday, Cornyn said he was "frustrated" by the progress of the talks.
In 24 hours can you learn to handle a weapon?
That they approved for Ohio teachers
June 14, 202200:30
The timing of the deal gives lawmakers hope the Senate can vote on the package before they leave Washington this week for the two-week Fourth of July vacation.
The bipartisan group of negotiators reached an agreement on a framework for the legislation last week, but had been struggling over the exact language of the bill.
The talks were prompted by the mass shootings in Buffalo, New York, and Uvalde, Texas, in which a total of 31 people were killed, including 19 children.
