Scrambling to respond to a recent spate of bloody gun massacres, U.S. lawmakers passed the most significant federal gun restrictions in decades on Friday, following years of false starts and failures to tighten gun laws.
Following Senate passage late Thursday, the House passed the bipartisan bill that takes steps to restrict gun access for the youngest buyers, domestic violence offenders and others who could pose a risk to their communities. The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act also would fund school safety and mental health programs.
The House approved it by a 234-193 margin, as 14 Republicans joined all Democrats. The legislation heads to President Joe Biden, who is expected to quickly sign it into law.
Democrats hoped the legislation would further rein in gun violence after lone gunmen massacred Black shoppers at a Buffalo grocery store and children at a Texas elementary school last month. The victory for gun-safety advocates this week also came with a setback, as the Supreme Court struck down a New York law that restricted the ability to carry a concealed weapon. The ruling imperils similar laws around the country.
Democrats nonetheless cheered the legislation’s passage as a landmark event after they won support from Republicans including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, the Kentucky Republican who has long fought efforts to restrict gun ownership after previous mass shootings that rocked the country.
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Source: CNBC
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