A bipartisan gun control bill is slated for a vote in the United States Senate.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer confirmed his intention to bring the gun control bill up for a preliminary vote on Tuesday, the day it was introduced, according to Fox News’ Chad Pergram.
Schumer: This bipartisan gun-safety legislation is progress..While it is not everything we want, this legislation is urgently-needed. I will now put this life-saving legislation on the Senate floor for a vote, with an initial procedural vote as soon as tonight
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) June 21, 2022
Sen. Marco Rubio questioned the bill’s timing, revealing that senators were set to vote on the law just hours after its final text was made public.
We are being asked to vote tonight to begin debate on a gun proposal whose legislative text was only made available less than an hour ago
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) June 21, 2022
The law’s most controversial provision creates financial incentives for states to create their own Red Flag laws.
Red Flag laws create a legal process through which a citizen can petition for a judge to seize the firearms from an individual he or she considers dangerous to themselves or to others.
Do you support Red Flag laws?
Yes: 2% (2 Votes)
No: 98% (86 Votes)
They vary by state, with some laws entailing a process by which a disarmed citizen can get back his or her guns. Critics of Red Flag laws argue that they allow officials to seize guns from law-abiding citizens without a criminal conviction.
The 80-page ‘‘Bipartisan Safer Communities Act” would also impose new scrutiny on gun buyers under the age of 21, opening up their juvenile records for a background check.
Ten Republican senators were involved in negotiations over the legislation’s contents and reportedly support the proposal. Sixty senators would have to vote in support of ending debate on the proposal to bypass the Senate’s filibuster.
The National Rifle Association announced its opposition to the bill after its full text was released.
The pro-gun rights group had been waiting for the legislation’s text to come out before taking a stance on the bill.
🚨BREAKING: NRA Announces Opposition to Senate Gun Control Legislation
“This legislation can be abused to restrict lawful gun purchases, infringe upon the rights of law-abiding Americans, & use fed dollars to fund gun control measures being adopted by state & local politicians.” pic.twitter.com/tXriTiWLzw
— NRA (@NRA) June 21, 2022
It’s expected that the Democrat-controlled House and President Joe Biden would rush to codify any new gun control legislation.
