While Congress has tried and failed for decades to reach an agreement on major gun reforms in the past, some lawmakers believe that this is the moment they should try again.
Despite the horrific killings of 19 children and two adults at Uvalde Elementary School in Texas on Tuesday, the odds of success are slim. Democrats and Republicans are not in agreement over changes to background checks laws or more comprehensive measures to restrict firearms access within the country.
However, Senator Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said that he was working with both sides to find common ground.
Murphy stated, “Maybe I’m foolish for being the eternal optimist but I’m just going to keep at it for the next few days, and the next week.”
Sens. Senators. Murphy said that it was a start, but he isn’t confident that he will be able to find enough Republicans to support Democrats in order to win the 60 votes needed to defeat a filibuster.
Murphy said that while they’re still talking, Murphy explained to NPR that Republicans and Democrats are trying to find a process where over the next week, aEUR” a number of us aEUR’ can sit down to try to reach a compromise. There are likely four to five Republicans who would support commonsense measures, so the chances of us finding a compromise are less than 50-50. It is harder to find the five next.”
Murphy suggested that one possibility could be a federal law which allows police and family members to petition for the temporary removal of firearms from gun owners who pose a danger. While some states have passed different versions of these so-called red flag laws, there are no national options.
Bipartisan talks could also focus on minor changes in background check laws.
Murphy suggested that a smaller expansion to a background checking system might be possible, which would allow for more sales but not all sales. It would check for criminal and mental history. “You know, these are the areas where we might be in a position to reach some compromise. I understand that this is not enough.”
Since the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre in 2012, Murphy has worked for over ten years to push Congress to pass gun control legislation. Murphy was elected to the Senate a month after 26 people, including 20 children aged under 7, were killed and injured at the school in his district.
Murphy stated that he doesn’t know what to say to these parents.
Murphy stated, “Unfortunately there are victims from Sandy Hook through Parkland and Charleston who can help understand how they handle this grief.” “But they should also know that there are people in Washington who will not give up and who will try to honor these children’s memory with action.
Sandy Hook Promise is a group that was founded by the families of those who were victims of that shooting. It estimates that approximately 12 children are killed each day in America from gun violence. Since Sandy Hook’s shooting, nearly 950 school shootings occurred.
Since then, gun laws have remained virtually unchanged in the country.
Many senators, particularly Democrats, were outraged at the fact that gun control has practically no chance of success.
On Wednesday, Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) blasted reporters at the Capitol over the possibility of Congress taking in more action.
Kelly stated, “How many parents had to discover that their child was killed in school? And to believe the federal government would not do anything about it is crazy.” It’s absurd to think that anyone would do anything about it.
Kelly is deeply connected to gun violence advocacy and gun control advocacy. Gabby Giffords (ex-Congresswoman) was shot in the head during a “Congress on Your Corner” event in Arizona.
Giffords survived, but is now permanently blind. Six other people were killed in the shooting. Giffords, Kelly and the Americans for Responsible Solutions gun control advocacy group were founded by Americans for Responsible Solutions in 2013, seven year before Kelly ran for Senate.
Democrats blame Republicans often, claiming they need GOP votes in order to defeat a filibuster. All 50 senators that voted with Democrats must unite to end the filibuster or change it.
Gun control is an issue that Democrats are not united on, however.
Senator Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) is opposed to any vote to end filibuster. Wednesday, he stated to reporters that he wanted to pass consensus gun legislation. Manchin stated that eliminating the filibuster in controversial legislation gives Republicans an incentive to use the same, lower vote requirement for overturning the policy if they are elected to the Senate.
Manchin stated that everyone wants to be a ‘filibuster. filibuster. filibuster. filibuster.’ That’s the easiest way out. “What makes them say they won’t reverse the decision immediately if it doesn’t suit them?”
Manchin is not the only Democrat that has resisted more drastic gun laws changes, such as banning assault weapons and limiting high-volume cartridges’ capacities.
Senator Jon Tester (D-Mont.) said that lawmakers should start with small changes like background checks, as those are the bills most likely to pass.
Tester stated that they were discussing background checks to a group of reporters. “We don’t talk about any more than that, I think it’s silly. It won’t pass if background checks aren’t done.”
Tester became visibly frustrated when he was asked why it would be foolish to pursue more aggressive legislation.
Tester shouted, “Kids were killed yesterday for Christ’s sakes!” Let’s discuss what we can do. Let’s discuss what can be done.
Murphy is agreed by some Republicans that background checks and red flag laws are the most vulnerable targets for compromise.
However, not all Republicans agree that these bills should be dealt with at the federal level. Senator Mitt Romney (Republican from Utah) told reporters that red flag laws should be considered by states and that Congress should handle other issues.
Romney stated that the federal government should be responsible for improving background checks. “The state should handle gun laws and the processes for enforcing these laws.”
Collins believes that red flag laws and other measures to remove guns from mentally ill people would reduce the number of shootings.
Collins stated that this law could have helped in this case. “I think we should focus on what certain states have done with red flag or yellow-flag laws.”
Others, such as Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), were unable identify federal interventions that they believed would be helpful.
Rounds stated that Congress has tried to do many things over the years, but in each case if someone wishes to violate a statute they will,” Rounds said. Rounds stated, “So if Congress makes a law and the person violates it, then you can say that Congress didn’t do anything.”
Some felt the same despair as before, because there was no agreement. Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) was direct.
He said that “This is a bad time for any hope or optimism about legislative process or progress.” “I usually want to be more optimistic. It won’t change, but I doubt it.”
