The US House of Representatives on Wednesday approved a package of measures from the Democratic Party to tighten gun laws. Among other things, the new legislation changes the minimum age at which someone can buy a semi-automatic firearm. This will be increased from 18 to 21 years.
Bump stocks are also banned. These are a type of magazine that can be used to convert semi-automatic weapons into fully automatic weapons.
The delegates had to express themselves on each measure individually. That way, the Democrats could pinpoint exactly which Republican MPs supported which measures. In the end, the entire package was passed by 223 to 204 votes. Among those who voted against were two Democrats. Five Republicans, on the other hand, supported the stricter measures.
The package has passed the House of Representatives, but now the Senate must also vote on it. It is expected that the Democrats will not succeed in finding sufficient support there. Senators from both parties are currently negotiating proposals that go much less far, but can count on more support as a result.
Hours before the vote, a survivor and some relatives of the shooting at a primary school in Uvalde had told the House about what they experienced. During emotional pleadings, they called for stricter gun laws. Nineteen students and two teachers were killed in the shooting last month. The eighteen-year-old gunman had legally purchased his weapons shortly after his birthday.
Today there is an associated agenda item ready to vote on. The House of Representatives is voting on a law that broadens the possibilities to refuse a firearms license to people who may be a danger to themselves or their environment.
Firearms in the US
- There are an estimated 350 to 400 million firearms in the US.
- 40 percent of Americans live in households with firearms.
- 39,773 firearms deaths in 2017 (two thirds were suicide).
- Each state has its own gun laws.
- California has the strictest gun laws, Mississippi the smoothest.
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