The Senate’s gun restriction measure was swiftly taken up by the House of Representatives, and it is anticipated that the package will be approved Friday about noon.
At its 7 a.m. meeting, the House Rules committee decided on a rule for the bill, sending it to the House floor for discussion and a full vote.
President Joe Biden may sign the bill before he leaves for meetings with the G7 and NATO in Germany and Spain early on Saturday morning.
The proposal is the most major change to weapons laws in decades.
After a month of discussions that led to a compromise on one of the nation’s most divisive political topics, it was approved by a vote of 65-33 in the U.S. Senate late Thursday night.
15 Republicans, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, disregarded former President Donald Trump’s request that they vote against it, and it passed as a result.
Rep. Jim McGovern, a Massachusetts Democrat, opened debate on the House floor on Friday morning by saying, “I don’t think I could agree with Senator Mitch McConnell on where to go to have lunch.”
Sen. Lindsey Graham, a close ally of President Trump, was also mentioned by name as one of the bill’s supporters. McGovern praised the Senate Republicans and urged House Republicans to follow their example.
Members have been instructed to vote against the bill by the House GOP leadership.
I am aware that you are being urged to vote against your party’s leadership.
I am aware that some of my Republican friends would find that difficult.
But I believe that in the end, you owe it to yourself to think about this one point: how would this legislation prevent even one horrific shooting? said McGovern.
The debate was being moderated by Democratic Rep. Lucy McBath, whose late son died as a result of gun violence.
The bill’s official opposition was announced by the House Republican leadership on Wednesday.
“This legislation attempts to reduce violent crimes in the wrong way.”
House Minority Whip Steve Scalise urged House Republicans to vote against the proposal, saying, “House Republicans are committed to discovering and resolving the underlying causes of violent crimes, but doing so must not infringe upon Second Amendment rights.”
However, some moderate House Republicans are anticipated to support the legislation.
On Friday morning, Fox News claimed that between 10 and 17 House GOP members were anticipated.
According to McConnell, the political compromise bill would not affect Americans’ Second Amendment rights.
After horrible mass murder occurrences in the past, bipartisan negotiations had begun, but they had broken down because Senate Democrats insisted on criticizing the Second Amendment, according to the Kentucky Republican.
The difference this time was that Democrats finally shifted in our direction and acknowledged that Americans should not have to choose between their constitutional rights and safer communities. McConnell stated that they could have both.
His coworkers had different opinions.
“Kansans expect me to safeguard their Constitutional freedoms in the U.S. Senate, and I will not surrender those freedoms for this gun grab scam,” Senator Roger Marshall declared.
By a vote of 65 to 34, the Senate earlier ended a Republican-led filibuster on the proposed gun control legislation, allowing for a final vote.
The decision follows a preliminary procedural vote that was passed in the Senate on Tuesday night by a margin of 64-34, with 14 Republicans joining all 50 Democrats in voting in favor.
Sen. Kevin Cramer, a Republican from North Dakota, missed the vote because he injured his hand “severely” while attempting to lift a boulder in his yard.
As there were new calls for tighter gun control regulations following the killing at the elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas was one of the main negotiators.
The same group of Republicans voted in support of breaking the filibuster Thursday, with the addition of Pennsylvania Sen. Pat Toomey, who wasn’t on hand for the previous vote.
Other Republicans who voted yea include Sens. Roy Blunt, Richard Burr, Shelley Moore Capito, Bill Cassidy, Susan Collins, Joni Ernst, Lindsey Graham, Lisa Murkowski, Rob Portman, Mitt Romney, Thom Tillis and Todd Young.
The 80-page compromise plan would toughen background checks for younger gun buyers, enhance background check procedures and beef up punishments for gun traffickers.
The law would also bar romantic partners convicted of domestic abuse who are not married to their victims from purchasing weapons.
The possession of firearms is already prohibited for convicted abusers who are married to, reside with, or have children with their victims.
Additionally, $750 million would be given to additional states with violence prevention initiatives as well as the 19 states with “red flag” legislation, which make it simpler to temporarily seize firearms from dangerous individuals.
The recipients of the cash must have legal procedures in place for the gun owner to contest the confiscation of their weaponry.
The law would give grants to states and localities to fund initiatives to increase school security and mental health.
The National Rifle Association expressed its opposition to the plan in a statement on Tuesday, saying it “falls short at every level.”
The statement read, “It opens the door to unnecessary burdens on the exercise of Second Amendment freedom by law-abiding gun owners while doing little to truly curb violent crime.” This proposal “may be exploited to restrict lawful gun purchases, violate the rights of law-abiding Americans, and use federal funds to fund gun control policies being adopted by state and local officials,” according to a statement from the NRA.
Former President Donald Trump has also spoken out against the plan, criticizing McConnell for his support – with whom he had a falling out once McConnell wasn’t in favor of the “great deception”
The final straw will be Mitch McConnell’s insistence that Republican senators support gun control, Trump wrote on Truth Social on Thursday.
“Just like he offered the Democrats a great sound bite and triumph with the Infrastructure Bill, which is actually all about the Green New Deal, or took away the ebt ceiling and received NOTHING in return, he is now forcing approval of the FIRST STEP IN TAKING AWAY YOUR GUNS!”
Republicans in the Senate SHOULD NOT VOTE FOR THIS BILL TO END CAREERS! Trump penned.
In addition, Trump called Cornyn a “RINO,” or “Republican in name only.”
A few hours prior to the Senate’s decisions, the Supreme Court had overturned a New York state statute that required “proper cause” in order to carry a weapon in public.
The recent decision makes it possible for all law-abiding Americans to carry loaded handguns concealed in public.