US Gun Control: Bipartisan group of senators agree on limited safety measures

Picture Courtesy: BBC

A bipartisan group of senators announced an agreement on principle for gun control legislation Sunday, which includes "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," they said in a statement.

The announcement includes the support of 10 Republican senators needed to overcome the Senate filibuster. The proposal includes support for state crisis intervention orders, funding for school safety resources, an enhanced review process for buyers under the age of 21 and penalties for straw purchasing.

The statement by senators said, “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.” On Saturday, tens of thousands of protestors rallied across the US to call for stricter gun laws in the wake of two mass shootings.

President Biden urged lawmakers to pass the proposals quickly, while making clear that they did not go as far as he wanted. The changes proposed by the President included a ban on assault rifles or at least an increase in the age at which they can be purchased.

President Biden said in a statement, “Obviously, it does not do everything that I think is needed, but it reflects important steps in the right direction, and would be the most significant gun safety legislation to pass Congress in decades.” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat who said the plans were "a good first step", said he wanted to move a bill quickly to a Senate vote once legislative details were worked out.