Following consecutive shootings... US Senate reaches final agreement on gun control bill

[Asia Economy New York=Special Correspondent Joselgina] The Democratic and Republican parties in the U.S. Senate reached a final agreement on the details of the gun control bill on the 21st (local time).

According to local media including AP News, Democratic Senator Chris Murphy and Republican Senator John Cornyn, who led the gun control negotiations, unveiled a bipartisan gun control proposal to reporters on the day.

The 80-page proposal centers on allowing the provision of juvenile crime records for background checks on gun buyers aged 18 to 21, and requiring relevant authorities to review the mental health status of gun purchasers under 21 for at least ten days. It also mandates background checks for more gun sellers, strengthens penalties for gun trafficking, supports budgets for school security and psychological treatment, and provides incentives to states that adopt 'red flag' laws prohibiting gun possession by high-risk individuals.

As a result, it is being evaluated that Congress has broken its silence for the first time in 29 years since the 1993 ban on assault rifles (which expired after 10 years). The bill, if passed, will be valid until September 30, 2032.

However, the bill does not include the Democratic Party's previously advocated bans on assault rifle sales and large-capacity magazine sales. The provision to raise the purchase age for semi-automatic rifles such as the AR-15 from 18 to 21 was also excluded. Compared to what President Joe Biden and the Democrats initially proposed, this is considered insufficient.

Recently, calls for gun control have intensified in the U.S. following a series of mass shootings. On the 24th of last month, 21 people, including 19 children, were killed in a shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas. Earlier that month, on the 14th, a teenager who followed white supremacist ideology indiscriminately shot Black people at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York, killing 10.

Senator Murphy said, "For 30 years, there have been murders, suicides, and mass shootings, but Congress did nothing," adding, "This week, we have the opportunity to break 30 years of silence and amend the law to save thousands of lives." Senator Cornyn said, "Some people think the proposal is excessive, others think it is insufficient, but compromise is like that," and added, "I am confident this bill will lead us in a positive direction."

The Democrats plan to pass the bill before the Senate recesses ahead of the U.S. Independence Day on July 4. In the Senate, split 50-50 between Democrats and Republicans, 60 votes are needed to overcome a filibuster and pass the bill. Local media expect that 10 Republican votes will be secured for passage.