A bipartisan Senate negotiator is due to make the announcement on Sunday reached a pilot agreement on legislation that would combine new gun restrictions with significant new investments in mental health and school safety – an agreement that could put Congress on track to implement the most important national response to decades of mass violence with weapons. The framework agreement was confirmed on Sunday by three people involved in the talks who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss their situation before an official announcement is expected at noon. Although they are substantially weaker than the prohibition on assault weapons, the restrictions on high-capacity ammunition, and the general Democrat-extended general control extensions, the arms provisions in the framework could, if enacted, be enforced. represent the most important new federal firearms restrictions introduced since the mid-1990s. Under the interim agreement, a federal grant program would encourage states to enact “red flag” laws that allow authorities to keep firearms away from people considered by a judge to be a potential threat to themselves or others. while the federal criminal history check for arms buyers under the age of 21 would for the first time include a mandatory search of juvenile justice records. It does not include a provision backed by President Biden, congressional Democrats and a handful of Republicans that would raise the minimum age for buying at least some rifles from 18 to 21. Pistols are already subject to a federal age limit of 21 and up. Other provisions could channel billions of new federal dollars into mental health and school safety programs, funding new campus infrastructure and armed officers. Several senators said last week that they expected a cornerstone of the agreement to be legislation funded by Senators Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) And Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) To create a national network of “community clinics.” behavioral health “. The announcement Sunday represents the fruit of a crashed bipartisan effort that began in the days following the May 24 killing of 19 children and two teachers inside Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, 10 days after another shocking shooting in a Buffalo supermarket. It also comes a day after thousands attended nationwide gun control rallies organized by the student-led March for Our Lives group, including an event in Washington at the National Mall. Ahead of Sunday’s announcement, senators publicly outlined a negotiating position in general terms. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Who led the Democrats’ gun-fighting efforts at the 2012 school shooting in Newtown, Conn., Said during a rally against gun violence Friday that was determined to break Congress’ stance on gun legislation, but not at any cost: “I’m not interested in doing anything unless it’s something that will save lives, unless it has an impact and meaning ». Meanwhile, John Cornyn (R-Tex.), Who has an A-plus rating from the National Rifle Association, said last week that he was interested in reaching a compromise, but only if he safeguarded the rights of gun owners under the Second Rifle Association. Modification. “This is not about creating new restrictions on law-abiding citizens,” he said. “It is about ensuring that the system we already have in place works as planned.” Key traps remain: Only a handful of the 50 Republican senators joined the negotiating team, and under the Senate rule, at least 10 would have to join the 50-member Democratic caucus to push through any legislation. In particular, the red flag laws have provoked many Conservative Republicans, although negotiators said last week that they believed there would be enough GOP support to pass any deal. People who took part in the talks said it remained unclear how many senators would eventually sign the statement Sunday morning. Someone said there were still hopes of having at least 10 Republicans on board, signaling a clear path to passage. In addition, the framework to be announced on Sunday is tantamount to a statement of principles and not a fully written bill. While those involved in the process said last week that important pieces of legislation have already been written, new points of friction often arise in Congress as the drafting process is completed. “The details will be crucial for Republicans, especially the firearms provisions,” said a GOP aide familiar with the talks. “One or more of these principles could be rejected if the text is not agreed upon.” Biden, who gave a speech to the White House earlier this month calling for tough new firearms restrictions, voiced support for the rallies and the “common gun safety legislation” on Saturday in a Twitter post: “I agree with them by reiterating my call to Congress: do something.” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (California) signaled Friday that the Democrat-controlled House will move to pass any bill the Senate can pass. “If it is a savior and can make a difference, and they have bipartisan support for it, then we will welcome it, although it will not be all we want,” he told a news conference. Parliament has already passed four arms-related bills, which go far beyond the Senate interim agreement. Last year, lawmakers passed a bill extending federal background checks to all commercial transactions, including those conducted at arms and online exchanges, and a measure extending the period the FBI must complete background checks for marketers. . Also last week, in response to the recent shootings, Parliament passed bills banning the sale of multiple semi-automatic rifles to people under the age of 21, banning high-capacity magazines and passing red flag laws in both state and federal courts. None of these bills have the necessary Republican support to pass the Senate. The last substantial new federal arms control laws were passed in the mid-1990s – the 1993 Brady Bill, which introduced the national direct control system, and the 1994 gun ban, which banned some semi-automatic weapons. military type and pistols. The last bill expired 10 years later and has not been renewed. In recent decades, Washington has worked primarily to expand gun rights. In 2005, for example, Congress vaccinated the firearms industry against product liability lawsuits, and in 2008, the Supreme Court upheld the right of an individual to own a firearm in a landmark case. DC v. Heller. A push in 2013 in the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings to extend history checks to cover more arms deals, including gun emissions and online sales, dropped six votes in the Senate. The Senate returns to the meeting Monday, and while Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Sumer (DN.Y.) did not issue ultimatums last week on the timetable, he urged negotiators to act quickly. In an interview Thursday, Murphy said he believed the chamber had two weeks to act – before lawmakers left Washington for a two-week break for Independence Day. However, meeting even that timetable would require a framework for a quick deal, Murphy said, citing the possibility that gun rights advocates in the Senate could seek to create procedural barriers to any possible legislation. “We can not agree on the last week we are here,” he said. “There are people in the Senate who will undoubtedly use every rule they have at their disposal to hold it high and slow it down.”
