President Biden said on Sunday he wasn’t entirely pleased with the bipartisan gun control proposal Senators advanced in the wake of the mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas, and Buffalo, New York.
The plan, while taking “important steps in the right direction,” doesn’t accomplish all Biden believes is needed.
Still, the president said if passed, the proposal would be “the most significant gun safety legislation to pass Congress in decades.” He further argued there’s “no excuse for delay” given it has bipartisan support.
Biden thanked Sens. Chris Murphy (D-CT), John Cornyn (R-TX), Tom Tillis (R-NC), and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) for their work on the proposal.
“Each day that passes, more children are killed in this country: the sooner it comes to my desk, the sooner I can sign it, and the sooner we can use these measures to save lives,” his statement concluded.
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.
— President Biden (@POTUS) June 12, 2022
With bipartisan support, there are no excuses for delay. Let’s get this done.
The framework includes red flag laws, investments in mental health and telehealth, enhanced review for buyers under the age of 21, resources for school security, and more. Extended background checks, an “assault weapons ban,” and higher minimum age for purchasing are notably excluded from the proposal.
Other senators that supported the proposal include: Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), Cory Booker (D- N.J.), Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Angus King (I-Maine), Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Rob Portman (R-Ohio), Mitt Romney (R-Utah), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), and Pat Toomey (R-Pa.)
“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," the bipartisan group of lawmakers wrote. "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. Our plan increases needed mental health resources, improves school safety and support for students, and helps ensure dangerous criminals and those who are adjudicated as mentally ill can’t purchase weapons. Most importantly, our plan saves lives while also protecting the constitutional rights of law-abiding Americans. We look forward to earning broad, bipartisan support and passing our commonsense proposal into law.”
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