Senators strike bipartisan gun deal, heralding potential breakthrough

[LetMyPeopleVote]

Source: Washington Post

A bipartisan group of Senate negotiators is set to announce Sunday that it reached a tentative agreement on legislation that would pair modest new gun restrictions with significant new mental health and school security investments — a deal that could put Congress on a path to enacting the most significant national response in decades to acts of mass gun violence.

The framework deal was confirmed Sunday by three people involved in the negotiations who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss their status ahead of a formal announcement, which is expected midday Sunday.

While substantially weaker than the assault weapons ban, high-capacity ammunition magazine restrictions and broad background check expansions that most Democrats support, the gun provisions set out in the framework could, if enacted, represent the most significant new federal firearms restrictions enacted since the mid-1990s.

Under the tentative deal, a federal grant program would encourage states to establish “red flag” laws that allow authorities to keep guns away from people found by a judge to represent a potential threat to themselves or others, while federal criminal background checks for gun buyers under 21 would include a mandatory search of juvenile justice records for the first time.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/06/12/senate-gun-deal-framework/

[ruet]

1. Not Enough.

Last edited Sun Jun 12, 2022, 12:48 PM - Edit history (1)

If and when this passes; the first mass shooting that occurs afterwards will be greeted with cries of "see, gun control doesn't work" and we will lose on another issue for being as milquetoast as possible.

[bahboo]

3. My first thought as well...

[Rebl2]

5. Agree

[pandr32]

23. I completely agree

[area51]

51. +1 n/t

[Alexander Of Assyria]

65. President Biden likes it, so going with the President and Party leader on this one.

[Bengus81]

81. Would any of this law stopped that puke Rittenhouse from getting an AR-15?

HELL NO it wouldn't...............

[Rebl2]

2. I seriously doubt

my state of MO will take part in that grant program. Our state house and governor are all right wing republicans.

[The Magistrate]

4. Piffle, Sir, Piffle And Pshaw

This kind of 'ooh, bipartisan' theater is gone the way of buggy whips.

[moniss]

6. Likely to be filibustered

anyhow. Does nothing to keep them from buying at gun shows with no background check. Doesn't require red flag laws it only "encourages" the states to do it. Also they require a judge to have made a finding. So an 18 year old who had been making all kinds of extremist views and threats but had never been in the court system is still going to be able to go to the gun show on Saturday morning, buy his weapon and then walk out and within minutes/hours commit the slaughter he seeks.

[in2herbs]

7. The only thing this proves is that Ds cannot negotiate. The red states will take the

grant money and misappropriate it -- look at how many red states did that with the Covid money. What will be the terms of the red flag laws? Does each state get to develop their own law or will the feds write the law? What about the follow up? What's funded? Mental health, ammo tax????

The Ds should have walked away from this and hollered that the cte's. failure was due to the fact that Rs refused to address the fact that guns kill and that's what the problem is.

If I was an on-the-fence voter I would conclude if Congress can't even protect kids, nothing is ever going to change and so why vote. I'm not an on-the-fence voter but I am po'd at the Ds for, again, being spineless. We don't always have to compromise!!!!

[HUAJIAO]

8. What a crock....

REPEAL THE SECOND AMENDMENT!

[Icanthinkformyself]

49. Agreed

The can be no responsible gun ownership as the very fact of owning one is irresponsible. That's my stance and I'm standing my ground.

[mzmolly]

58. We can't even get an AR ban.

No need to repeal the second amendment. People just have to read it.

[bucolic_frolic]

9. The weakest sauce available

That is a joke.

[LenaBaby61]

12. THIS 👆🏻👆🏻👆🏻

[Traildogbob]

10. The GQP

Will never never never never ban assault rifles. They fully intend to take over the next Dem presidential victory. Hell, probably the next Midterms. No gun ban by any Republican ever. It’s how they will win elections. We can’t get em to outlaw hanging nooses. Power and rule by rifle. Here to stay. As Jesus planned and fully supports. God given right to have guns. It’s in the BuyBull. Look it up. That Tennessee preacher said it damn it.

[paleotn]

11. Garbage. Nothing more.

It does nothing. Absolutely nothing. Hell, it's not even good window dressing.

[Raven123]

13. Bull. A patchwork of state laws is what we have. Federal grants will be abused

[LetMyPeopleVote]

14. For this thread

Link to tweet

[in2herbs]

18. If Sinema is for it that's all that needs to be said. The "compromise" is unbalanced in the Rs

favor.

Can't wait for that woman to be thrown out of Congress.

[in2herbs]

15. Instead of negotiating for gun control -- which will never work -- why don't these

members of Congress who want strict gun control begin the process of repealing the 2nd Amendment, either thru Congress or as a grass roots effort to get the repeal on state ballots? Better yet, why not do it in addition to the spineless deal that was just negotiated?

It may take years to accomplish but if repeal of the 2nd had begun after Columbine how many children would still be alive?

[Jedi Guy]

83. There are three reasons.

One, making noise about repealing the Second Amendment will give the Republicans a golden excuse to set their feet and refuse to compromise on any gun control legislation, no matter how tame. This legislation is tepid at best and likely isn't going to make that huge a difference, but it's what's possible with the current makeup of Congress. It is, little as it may be, better than nothing, and possibly opens the door to further minor legislation.

Two, a major push to repeal the Second Amendment will send the GOP base into frenzied overdrive and maximize their turnout for the midterms. Given the headwinds Democrats are already facing in the midterms, energizing their base by loudly calling for a repeal of the Second Amendment right now would be unwise. We're certainly not going to be in any position to move gun control legislation forward if we lose both houses of Congress in the midterms.

And three, the biggest reason, is that repealing the Second Amendment simply is not going to happen. Every time it's been proposed, people make it sound so simple. "Just repeal the Second Amendment!" Gosh, why didn't we think of it before? Oh, that's right, we have thought of it before. And it won't happen in our lifetimes, and most probably never will happen. The founders intentionally made it a difficult process, and we're simply not going to get the numbers required to propose or ratify it unless there is a massive paradigm shift in the country's politics, which does not appear likely given current trends.

TL;DR: Repealing the Second Amendment is a pipe dream and it would be better to focus on the possible rather than the impossible.

[nevergiveup]

16. If Senator Chris Murphy

believes this is a major breakthrough and might eventually lead to something more substantial then I would vote for it if I were a senator. If he supports this I would not have the heart to tell him "no".

[LetMyPeopleVote]

17. From Senator Murphy

Link to tweet

[Deminpenn]

46. Point 5 is a real good thing

5/ First ever federal law against gun trafficking and straw purchasing. This will be a difference making tool to stop the flow of illegal guns into cities.

[amb123]

19. Too Little. Too Late. AGAIN!

[LetMyPeopleVote]

20. Terms of deal

I am not impressed

Link to tweet

[Schmice3]

21. Weak tea and misses the point

[LetMyPeopleVote]

22. Statement from President Biden

Link to tweet

[muriel_volestrangler]

24. "Encourage" - so a red state can still say "we don't care, no red flag laws here"

And juvenile justice records weren't already searched for under-21 buyers? WTF? So a "criminal background check" was really full of shit, all this time?

[Bayard]

25. Paywall on article

It sounds like its better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick, but not much.

So, courts will be bogged down looking at these records and making rulings. That won't last long. And who do they propose to reach with more mental health money? Is a kid going to walk into a clinic and say--I'm thinking I will go shoot up a school today?

Ban assault weapons. Period. Its been done before.

[Crepuscular]

26. ...

This effectively takes guns off the table as an issue in the upcoming midterms, as it allows Republicans to say "See, our party supports reasonable gun legislation".

Total fail!

[Vinca]

27. This amounts to almost nothing. Can't imagine why it took them so long. The bottom line is that it

will do nothing to stop the mass shooting epidemic in this country. Maybe Junior will need a super duper background check, but not to worry. Dad has a hundred guns in the bedroom closet to choose from so the attack on the next school, grocery store or hospital can still go forward.

[Alexander Of Assyria]

54. NRA is angry as hell..is a good start...don't understand the great outrage??

Most significant gun laws in a generation…then some more to follow!

[Vinca]

60. I don't worry about the NRA. They're safe - they outlawed guns at their convention.

I know Democrats gave it a good try and I'm not upset with them. It's Republicans! The "party of life" is actually the "party of death." If this bill makes it to President Biden's desk and is signed, there could well be one or more mass shootings on that day. With weapons of war. That makes the bill almost insignificant in any generation and Republicans are to blame.

[Alexander Of Assyria]

61. Insignificant? So President Biden shouldn't sign the bill, as he says he will??

I agree with President Bidens comments, not many here on DU do tho…puzzling.

[Vinca]

76. Of course, he should sign it, but don't be surprised if it amounts to zero.

In the long run, Democrats have helped the GOP again when it comes to elections. Democrats will say "we passed a bill" and the vast majority of Democrats will know that, but will also know the age to buy a weapon of war remains the same and those weapons can still be purchased by the truckload by anyone brandishing cash. Republicans will say "we did something in response to the little kids being slaughtered, we passed a bill that protects your right to own a weapon of war" and, of course, they did. Even the NRA is finding it hard to quibble with the proposals. I'm very disappointed in this country - to put it mildly. In other countries, one mass shooting and the guns are taken away from the entire population, no questions asked. But, in this country, the "well regulated militia" has evolved into any drooling screwball who can pay for the AR or AK or just about anything else whether real or of the "ghost" variety.

[Alexander Of Assyria]

79. Then cause for mild celebration...next mass shooting can move the goal posts now to

the assault weapons goal line for the score.

[atreides1]

28. Right

https://www.yahoo.com/gma/senate-group-agrees-broad-outline-155000628.html

"A Republican aide involved in the negotiations stressed that the agreement is on principles -- not details, which will be critical for Republicans, particularly the firearms-related provisions. One or more of these provisions could be dropped, the aide said."

You can bet that most of the provisions will be dropped before this bill even comes to the floor of the Senate!

It's nothing more then a paper with words that will be as effective as a using a marshmallow in place of an air bag, when the car hits a steel wall!!!

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

29. What does it do?

Besides say it's not nice to shoot people.

[mcar]

30. Here are some alternate opinions to DU's "it sucks" narrative

Link to tweet

?s=20&t=yCLIOI0laDMrKdFfWHzAhg

Link to tweet

?s=20&t=yCLIOI0laDMrKdFfWHzAhg

Link to tweet

?s=20&t=yCLIOI0laDMrKdFfWHzAhg

[IronLionZion]

32. Agreed

Incremental progress is the best we can do with the numbers we have. Let's use this issue to elect more Dems and pass better regulations.

[Alexander Of Assyria]

62. Yes, gonna go with these guys rather than the ...IT SUCKS, not good enough! Sad, really.

[mcar]

31. Fred Guttenberg

Link to tweet

?s=20&t=yCLIOI0laDMrKdFfWHzAhg

Simply put, if this gets done, we will break 30 years of inaction. I fully support this for two key reasons

1) It will lower the gun violence death rate

2) It will decrease instances of gun violence.

This legislation will save lives. Let's do this.

[flying_wahini]

33. So NOW they can say that they 'Did Do something' ??

Like what they do in Texas. Rip it all down then restore the weakest conciliatory part and claim
Credit.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

34. From Prof. Tribe

I agree with Prof. Tribe. This is a start

Link to tweet

[Alexander Of Assyria]

63. Yes, exactly, the naysayers are wrong.

[samsingh]

35. there is going to be no breakthrough

[Alexander Of Assyria]

64. This IS a breakthrough..meaning more can come after the first, not hard to understand that.

Biden says so, so I have it on good authority.

[867-5309.]

67. The GQP isn't doing this as a meaningful first step toward softening their stance

This isn't the first part of a logjam breaking. It's giving themselves political cover until the next massacre.

[Alexander Of Assyria]

68. The NRA and all gun makers and disagree. An excellent start giving them gunhumping pain.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

36. From David Hogg

Link to tweet

[frogmarch]

37. whoop de doo

I'm not impressed.

[flying_wahini]

38. So NOW they can say that they 'Did Do something' ??

Like what they do in Texas. Rip it all down then restore the weakest conciliatory part and claim
Credit.

[LiberatedUSA]

39. This or nothing.

Something is better than nothing. Everyone here knew what to expect.

[yaesu]

40. bipartisan just means smokescreen feel good legislation, i know, its better than nothing, maybe,

hardly, naw, but involving the fascists with anything will not solve the problems and this bill will not stop mass shootings with assault rifles. Assault weapons ban, high-capacity ammunition magazine restrictions are the only real answer. A waste of time

[old guy]

48. Yup.

[Lil Liberal Laura]

41. I'll believe when I see

Not a second before.

[Wild blueberry]

42. A step in the right direction

I'll take it and keep working for full gun safety.

[Doremus]

43. What a load of BS. "Bipartisan" only means it's been watered down as to be nothing more than PR.

If repukes won't cooperate, call them out and KEEP CALLING THEM OUT. Sooner or later people will hear it. And they'll have more respect for you for standing firm instead of caving to bullies and worthless talking points.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

44. Biden says he will sign Senate's bipartisan gun proposal

President Biden said on Sunday that he plans to sign gun safety reforms proposed by a bipartisan group of senators earlier in the day, adding that he hopes legislation comes to his desk soon.

“I want to thank Senator Chris Murphy and the members of his bipartisan group—especially Senators Cornyn, Sinema, and Tillis—for their tireless work to produce this proposal,” Biden said in a statement, calling the proposed legislation the “most significant gun safety legislation to pass Congress in decades.”

“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,” Biden added.

“With bipartisan support, there are no excuses for delay, and no reason why it should not quickly move through the Senate and the House. Each day that passes, more children are killed in this country: the sooner it comes to my desk, the sooner I can sign it, and the sooner we can use these measures to save lives,” Biden concluded.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/biden-says-he-will-sign-senate-s-bipartisan-gun-proposal/ar-AAYnpk8

[Alexander Of Assyria]

69. This....is all you need to know to be on board with this generational change.

[SouthernDem4ever]

45. Whatever. None of those changes would have prevented the mass school shootings

You know McConnell had to get permission from the NRA for this watered down crap.

[Rebl2]

53. Certainly not

Disappointed in this agreement

[Recursion]

78. No, but "normal" shootings are a much bigger problem and they will help some with that

It's really unfortunate that it's only mass shootings that drive the conversation rather than the orders of magnitude more deadly ordinary shootings that happen every day.

[Deminpenn]

47. Mental health should be legislated and funded as its own subject

This all began with Reagan's policies that resulted in a flood of mentally ill people on the streets instead of in facilities getting help. Getting mental health funding back on track, even if it has to be through gun safety legislation, is a good thing.

[Icanthinkformyself]

50. Spaghetti sauce

When I first met my in-laws my MIL made spaghetti. I asked for the sauce and was handed the butter and ketchup. I refused to eat it. Weak and tasteless, just like this agreement made of whole cloth. We knew nothing of substance would be done and anything that came of negotiating with obstructionists would be touted as some major breakthrough. Chris, ya was taken for a ride by professional obstructers to whom you have now given cover for doing nothing.

[jgmiller]

52. I guess something is better than nothing

This proves though that the GOP can be scared into action. They are only doing this because they are afraid their inaction will be an effective weapon against them in November. This is why it was good that Pelosi got the vote last week even though we knew it wouldn't go anywhere. Every one of those GOP members that voted against it can have that used against them.

[MadMike47]

55. Senate Democrats just got played.

A watered-down, BS gun bill that accomplishes nothing except giving cover to Republicans. So when election time comes they can brag about how they passed “bipartisan” gun safety legislation. The Democrats' “friends across the aisle" just made them look like the bunch of suckers that they apparently are.

[myohmy2]

56. practically nothing...

...more blue smoke and window-dressing...

...they ought to be ashamed and embarrassed to bring forth and tout such pathetic legislation as an achievement...

...and even this crap probably won't pass the senate as finger-pointing and the blame-game rages until it all blows over...

...then at the next mass slaughtering of school children we get to do this all over again...

...I'd seriously think about keeping my children out of schools...

...listen politicians, enough is enough...

...we don't need excuses, we need results...

...

[BlueIdaho]

57. Window dressing and political cover for the GQP

Handing gun regulation over to the states is the best way to make sure nothing happens. In this case something is not better than nothing, what they did was take run regulation off the table for the midterm elections.

[LogicFirst]

59. Gotta problem? Throw taxpayers' money at it.

This legislation is a joke.

[Bengus81]

66. Fluff job BS. You'll have another school massacre in 3-6 months

This is BS and stops nothing..........

[Alexander Of Assyria]

70. What part is unacceptable?

[LogicFirst]

71. All that talk with action to back it is unacceptable.

Throwing money at a problem never works, and in a year or two Congress won’t adequately fund any of this. So, we address school safety? What about grocery store safety? What about shopping mall safety? Until we get real reform: assault weapons ban and higher age limits, there is no reform, and this piece of legislation is unacceptable, as it has no teeth and is meaningless.

[sarisataka]

72. What happened to

"If it saves even one life it's worth it?"

[Alexander Of Assyria]

73. What always happens...social media OUTRAGE...gets dull, doesn't it?

[sarisataka]

75. I am more bothered

By the hypocrisy. We demand something but if it isn't what we really want we would rather have nothing.

Even if we wave a magic unicorn horn and eliminate every gun in the world there will still be violence.

[Alexander Of Assyria]

74. So you are ok with the parts, but worry about enforcement and funding, Fair enough.

Say so.

[Bengus81]

82. That the favorite weapon of mass murders will still be easy to obtain

Oh wait,some guy who owns a gun shop in Texas will trip over himself making sure someone can't buy a $2,000 AR-15 from him because he "thinks" they might be a danger to himself or others.

They supposed to be psychologists now??


Pffftttttt..........

[Alexander Of Assyria]

84. That's not how the law will work, so no.

[Bengus81]

85. I know...it's WORSE. Family members have to rat them out.

Think Rittenhouse's mom would have ever contacted authorities about him and an AR-15? No,because my guess is she's just as racist as he is.

Whatever....19 States already have a similar law on the books and it doesn't stop mass shooting with assault rifles and neither will this one. People who feel like shooting up a school,grocery store,bar,medical building will STILL be able to get the right tool (AR-15) to do the job and that's why Republicans are lining up to sign this off on this do nothing law and then NOTHING substantial will happen for another ten years.

[Recursion]

77. I know I'm the apostle of incremental changes, but dayum

This is some new heights of incrementalism

[madville]

80. This assumes it will pass the House as written

If the House tries to add anything or wants to negotiate, some of the 10 Senate Republicans could pull their support. Doesn’t really look like much in the end either way.