Minimal gun deal between Republican and Democratic senators

I want to thank Senator Chris Murphy and the bipartisan group for their gun safety proposal. It does not do everything that I think is needed, but it reflects important steps in the right direction.

With bipartisan support, there are no excuses for delay. Let’s get this done.

— President Biden (@POTUS) June 12, 2022

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A qualified majority of 60 votes

The presence of ten Republican senators (the side of the American political spectrum which is against these framework measures and does not want to ban weapons) among the signatories of the press release announcing this compromise suggests that such a text has a real chance of passing. in the Senate if all 50 elected Democrats are in favor of it. A qualified majority of 60 votes is required for such a bill to be adopted, which has so far blocked any major progress towards better regulation of firearms, due to opposition from the Conservatives.

The massacre at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texaswhich left 21 dead including 19 children, had triggered several parliamentary initiatives, including that of this group of senators, led by Democrat Chris Murphy, who has worked discreetly in recent days to find an agreement that can be approved by Congress .

The twenty senators, ten Republicans and ten Democrats, agreed to “a common-sense, bipartisan proposal to protect America’s children, keep our schools safe, and reduce the danger of violence across the country,” the joint statement read.

Their proposals also include stronger criminal and psychological background checks for gun buyers between the ages of 18 and 21 as well as federal funding for various mental health programs.

On Saturday, tens of thousands of Americans took to the streets in many cities across the country, including the capital Washington, to “stop these massacres” and demand that Congress pass reforms to better restrict access to weapons. fire.

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