- The bill was approved by the US Senate with bipartisan support of 15 Republicans and Democrats.
- The bill was passed in response to 31-person fatal mass shootings that occurred last month.
- The vote in the 100-member Senate was 65-33.
The most major piece of gun legislation in over 30 years has been approved by the US Senate.
It requires more controls on teenage purchasers and incentivizes authorities to take away firearms from those deemed a threat.
The bill was approved by the Senate with the uncommon bipartisan support of 15 Republicans and Democrats.
Before President Joe Biden signs it into law, the lower house still needs to approve it.
A vote is anticipated soon in the House of Representatives, which is controlled by Democrats.
Despite the fact that it fell far short of his goals, the president urged a swift vote “on this bipartisan bill.” Both pro-gun activists and the majority of Democrats favour much stricter gun control laws.
After 28 years of inaction, bipartisan members of Congress finally responded to the cries of American families and passed legislation to combat the epidemic of gun violence in our neighbourhoods, according to Mr. Biden.
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The bill was passed in response to 31-person fatal mass shootings that occurred last month at a Buffalo, New York, supermarket and a Uvalde, Texas, elementary school.
The changes consist of:
stricter background checks for purchasers under 21
Federal funding of $15 billion (£12.2 billion) for mental health initiatives and strengthening school security
Financial support to persuade states to enact “red flag” laws to confiscate weapons from those deemed a threat
by prohibiting the sale of firearms to people found guilty of abusing unmarried intimate partners, the so-called “boyfriend loophole” will be closed.
Assault weapons, which were used in the mass killings in Texas and Buffalo, have been banned, or at least the age at which they may be purchased has been raised, under President Biden’s leadership.
Two days after turning 18, the Texas shooting gunman is thought to have bought two semi-automatic firearms.
The fact that both Democrats and Republicans have expressed this degree of support for the proposed improvements makes the measure notable because it is the first time in decades that this has happened.
The Republican party has historically opposed attempts to tighten firearms regulations in the US.
The vote in the 100-member Senate was 65-33 on this occasion.
Senators Kyrsten Sinema and Joe Manchin, two of the party’s most conservative members, joined all 50 Democrats in supporting the legislation.
Deal-making Republicans like Lindsey Graham, a close supporter of former President Donald Trump and a steadfast opponent of gun control legislation, and Mitch McConnell, the party’s Senate leader, joined them.
The proposal was opposed by two-thirds of Senate Republicans, and all of its supporters—with the exception of Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Todd Young of Indiana—will either not run for reelection in the upcoming election.
The bill was criticised by Texas Senator Ted Cruz, who is expected to run for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024, as an effort to “disarm law-abiding folks rather than take genuine measures to protect our children.”
The passage of the bill was applauded by the gun control advocacy group March For Our Lives, which was created by Parkland school shooting survivors.
“We are aware that much more has to be done to stop this epidemic. But we arrived here tonight after a lot of effort. We will not give up or be silent. The battle of our lifetime is to end gun violence “The collective tweeted.
The National Rifle Association (NRA), which is opposed to the legislation, claims that it won’t reduce violence.
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