What is Congress Doing About Mass Shootings?
America is still licking its wounds after the tragic weekend when thirty people died in several mass shootings. We had so many losses in the years behind, caused by uncontrolled firearms. Guns were pointed at schools, clubs, streets. Those attacks repeat constantly, but the state seems to be finding no way to get in their way.
Not only the pain but the immense fear requires at least some progress in establishing gun control measures in the United States. However, from a political point of view, it seems hard to initiate a solution to such delicate issues.
New Gun Control Legislation
The country needs new legislation that requires background checks on all firearm sales. To pass any bill, it needs to get enough votes in both the House and the Senate. Even now that Democrats have a majority in the Senate, Republican votes are required to reach a minimum of 60.
Republicans Refused Voting in Front of the Senate
After the recent shootings in El Paso and Dayton, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell was asked to respond urgently and convene the Senate, despite summer recess, to pass gun control legislation as soon as possible. Still, Kentucky Republican representative did not do so. It was not the first case for Republicans to block the passage of legislation that would address the subject.
Many see such moves as an obstruction and a waste of valuable time in preventing future mass shootings.
H.R. 8 and H.R. 1112: Bipartisan Background Check Acts
In February 2019, the House of Representatives passed a bill that prohibited the transfer of gun rights from person to person and required a background check. Out of 430 MPs, 240 (all Democrats and 8 Republicans) voted in favor of this bill, while 190 were against it.
The other bill referred to a 10-days deadline for sellers to receive a background check response, and it was adopted in a ratio of 240/190. The Senate has not yet considered the draft bill H.R. 1112 nor H.R.8.
Red Flag Laws
These draft laws are largely Republican-backed. The legislation would allow authorities or family members to prohibit gun access to a particular person, as far as they consider them to be dangerous to the public.
Assault Weapon Bans
The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act had been adopted during Clinton’s mandate in 1994 and came into force in 2004. It bans the production and sale of assault weapons with large firearms magazines. Following the 2017 Las Vegas mass shooting, the Trump government has banned stockpiles or semi-automatic guns that have the devastating power of automatic rifles and explosives.
Corporative support
Until the issue moves in front of the US Senate, Democrats and activists are lobbying gun control measures and urging all US retailers to join. Corporate America seems to have decided to make a clear point. Big names like Walmart will stop selling rifle munitions and prohibit carrying weapons to their customers.
US Law Needs Changes
House and Senate lawmakers are back in their chairs after a summer recess. And, if the first call for urgency has expired, it remains for the Democrats to pressure Congress and bring laws to the ballot.
Many political, social, and corporate groups are joining the fight against firearms violence. President Trump still has an unclear position upon it, yet, he stated the issue was equally important as the matter of emigrants in the country.