On Tuesday, Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY) urged a bipartisan committee of negotiators to continue working on a compromise solution in response to recent gun violence in Buffalo, New York, and Uvalde, Texas.
The leader of the Senate Democrats stated a month ago he would consider giving Senate Republicans only a small window of time to agree to make concession-based legislation.
Schumer warned Republicans if they do not reach a deal, he will hold a vote on Democratic-crafted gun regulation.
On Tuesday, Schumer gave the impression he thinks talks are going well enough to justify keeping them going for longer.
Concessions
On the floor of the Senate, Schumer was quoted as saying:
“I’m imploring my Democratic peers to talk constantly, to see if Republican politicians will work together to come up with something that will make a significant change in the lives of Americans and stop mass shootings.”
“It’s really crucial to actually make some headway. Senator Chris Murphy requested space for the discussions to continue, and I have granted him the space.”
Schumer added, “today, I’m looking forward to catching up with my colleagues to chat about the current state of those negotiations.”
#politics #government Schumer giving more time for bipartisan talks on guns: Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) said Tuesday he is encouraging a bipartisan group of negotiators to keep working on a compromise proposal https://t.co/Ktls10oCho pic.twitter.com/7andeLfTDf
— The Internet Party (@internetptyorg) June 7, 2022
Murphy, who is the primary Democratic negotiator on gun reform, stated he would answer colleagues’ queries regarding the discussions during the weekly Senate Democratic luncheon that will take place on Tuesday.
On the other hand, he observed, “I don’t think I’ll be submitting anything [to the caucus]. We are simply not prepared for this.”
Monday night, Senator John Cornyn (R-TX), the top Republican negotiator, and Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) met in the office of Senator Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) to talk about possible solutions to the problem of gun violence.
They talked for more than two hours.
“We are continuing to make headway in refining and limiting the plan’s scope. This week, I believe there is work for us to do with our colleagues to ensure what we are discussing can receive 60 votes. I guess that it can.”
Murphy told reporters, “I believe what we have on the table currently has the potential to be a consensus package.”
He acknowledged plans to demand mandatory background checks or a ban on assault-style firearms and high-capacity magazines will not be included in any bipartisan agreement.
Age Limits and Red Flags
The White House revealed President Biden would meet with Murphy on Tuesday morning to discuss Senate debates.
Cornyn said on Monday the ideas to ban high-capacity magazines, raise the age limit for buying assault-style guns to 21 years old, and make assault-style rifles illegal are no longer up for discussion.
Rep. Scalise: Red Flag Laws Are ‘Unconstitutional’
https://t.co/ndLOiuIXev— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) June 5, 2022
Alternatively, the negotiators are considering suggestions that would urge governments to develop red flag legislation to allow for confiscation of firearms from individuals who are regarded to be a threat to themselves or others.
The senators are also looking into whether or not states should be required or encouraged to add juvenile criminal records to the federal database used for background checks.
