A bipartisan group of senators headed by John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) have focused the past few days on a small number of new policies to combat gun violence.
While they are still in the early stages of brainstorming, three areas show promise: encouraging states to adopt red flag laws, updating school safety protocols, as well as making some changes to background checks.
“We don’t need to stop the epidemic of gun violence within this country with just one piece of legislation. Murphy spoke at this week’s event. “What we must do is break the logjam aEUR”, Murphy said at an event this week. But, break the logjam by passing legislation that will save lives and not just check boxes.
Senators are seeking measures to clear the Senate’s 60-vote limit. Republicans want to concentrate on the changes that could have prevented Uvalde, Texas shooting, which left 19 children and two teachers dead.
Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), another senator involved in these discussions, said to NPR’s Morning Edition, that more states could pass “red flags” measures. These laws allow authorities to take guns from those who are at highest risk of harm to themselves or others. They have been approved in 19 states.
He said that the Parkland shooter had practically placed an advertisement in the newspaper. This was referring to the 2018 massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High school at Parkland, Fla. which left 14 students and three teachers dead. “He called law enforcement and they didn’t have the power to stop him.
This type of telegraphing is common among mass-shooters, according to David French, editor at The Dispatch, who recently supported red flag laws.
Morning Edition spoke to French who said he has an AR-15-style semiautomatic gun at home and that red flag laws are more effective than banning such weapons.
French claims that such a ban would not work because it’s “virtual impossible aEUR” since there are tens of million, maybe even more, of these drugs in circulation. He said that such a ban is not supported by conservatives like red flag laws.
Blumenthal highlighted two areas where senators could reach bipartisan agreement beyond red flag laws: incentivizing and mandating safe storage of firearms within private homes and providing more information in background checks before selling a gun.
He said that regardless of what is in the final package, it was crucial to get legislation to Senate floor as quickly as possible to maintain pressure on GOP senators.
He stated, “The history is that interest wanes and that Republicans abandon these attempts, and I believe that this is a put-up-or-shut-up’ time. They must show up at work and do their jobs. Vote for sensible, common-sense measures.
