Democrats and Republicans reach an agreement in principle to increase gun control in the US

by time news

A group of United States senators announced this Sunday an agreement in principle to increase control over firearms in the countrywhich proposes minimum measures after the mass shootings in a supermarket in Buffalo (New York) and in a school in Uvalde (Texas).

In a statement, the group of senators, both Democrats and Republicans, indicated that the agreement includes a review of the process of purchasing weapons for those under 21 years of age (The perpetrators of the Buffalo and Uvalde shootings were both 18 years old.)

The package of measures also extends the so-called “danger alert” (‘Red Flag’) laws to the entire country, already in force in states such as California, New York and Florida, and that allow the activation of a legal procedure to confiscate the firearms of those who represent a danger to third parties or to themselves.

More funds to strengthen security in schools

The group of senators who reached the asane consists of 10 Democrats and 10 Republicans, so that it is foreseeable that it will obtain the necessary support to be approved in the full Senate, where the Democrats enjoy a very narrow majority and need Republican support to marry almost any initiative forward.

Another measure included in the package is designed to put an end to what has come to be baptized as “the boyfriend’s emptiness”, by which until now if someone is accused of domestic violence without being married, they are allowed to continue owning weapons, something that does not happen in the case of married people.

In addition to slightly restricting access to weapons to certain people and under what circumstances, the agreement also includes more funds for mental health resources and to strengthen safety in schools, two points that gun advocates insist on every time there is a media shootout in the US.

The agreement is significant in that have bipartisan support -if approved, it would be the largest legislative reform on firearms in thirty years-, but it is very far from the proposals of the White House and the majority of representatives of the Democratic Party, much more restrictive.

Shortly after the deal was announced, US President Joe Biden issued a statement calling the deal “step in the right direction”, but he regretted that this “obviously” does not include all the measures that he considers necessary.

“Every day that passes, more children are being killed in this country. It is important that agreement reaches my office as soon as possible so that I can ratify it and we can use these measures to save lives,” he said.

Before reaching the oval office to be ratified by the president, the agreement must be presented as a bill and be approved in both the Senate and the House of Representatives.

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