US Senate passes gun safety bill

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24th Jun, 2022. 11:39 am
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The bill would strengthen background checks for gun buyers under the age of 21, provide funding for the administration of “red flag” regulations, and crack down on straw buyers.
It was passed after a series of mass shootings across the United States and in response to public dissatisfaction with legislative inaction.

The US Senate enacted a compromise gun bill by a vote of 65 to 33 on Thursday night.

The bill would strengthen background checks for gun buyers under the age of 21, provide funding for the administration of “red flag” regulations, and crack down on straw buyers.

It is anticipated that the House of Representatives will soon consider the bill.

The Act was enacted following a sequence of mass shootings across the United States and in response to public dissatisfaction with legislative inaction for decades.

A month ago, a shooter opened fire on an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, killing 19 children and two teachers and jolting both the United States and the international community.

Ten days before to the Uvalde massacre, a white male invaded a grocery shop in Buffalo, New York State, and fatally shot ten African Americans from the surrounding neighbourhood.

In a statement issued Thursday evening, US President Joe Biden said “Tonight, after 28 years of inaction, bipartisan members of Congress came together to heed the call of families across the country and passed legislation to address the scourge of gun violence in our communities.” “Families in Uvalde and Buffalo — and too many tragic shootings before — have demanded action.”

According to the most recent data from the non-profit group Gun Violence Archive, more than 20,900 individuals have been killed by firearms in the United States, and 279 mass shootings have been recorded so far in 2018.

A mass shooting is defined as an incident in which at least four people, excluding the perpetrator, are killed or injured by gunfire.

On Thursday morning, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a New York state law that placed restrictions on carrying a concealed firearm outside the home, a move that is certain to further polarise the nation on a contentious issue that is already the subject of heated discussion.

The judgement of the Supreme Court is “damaging and alarming,” as per Jack Resneck Jr., president of the American Medical Association.

“Firearm violence is a public health crisis, and easier access to weapons and fewer restrictions on who can carry them — and where they can be carried — are dangerous steps in the wrong direction. Overturning decades of reasonable firearm regulations will cost more lives,” he added.

US Senate passes gun safety bill

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