A bipartisan group of senators announced Sunday a proposal to combat gun violence, stemming from a concerted effort on Capitol Hill to respond to a string of deadly mass shootings in the United States.
The framework, the result of talks led by Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) and Republican Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), includes some reforms on access to firearms and cracking down on illegal sales, along with funding for mental health and school security, and measures meant to protect victims of domestic violence.
“Today, we are announcing a commonsense, bipartisan proposal to protect America’s children, keep our schools safe, and reduce the threat of violence across our country,” a group of 20 senators said in a press statement. “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.” The group is currently made up of 10 Republicans and 10 Democrats.
The legislation includes a federal grant program that would help states enact “red flag” laws that would allow law enforcement to keep guns away from individuals deemed to be potential threats to themselves or others, Murphy explained in a Twitter thread. The proposal would also close the “boyfriend loophole,” a legal gap in the Violence Against Women Act that allowed unmarried partners convicted of domestic violence to buy or own firearms.
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