Senate Republicans Who Struck Deal With Dems Fought Off Push To Raise Assault Weapons Purchase Age To 21
The deal that was reached this weekend on gun legislation by GOP senators rejected many Democrat proposals. They also opposed an assault weapons ban for anyone under 21.
Fox News spoke to an aide of Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), who was leading talks on the subject. He said that the Republicans had shut down an assault weapons ban for 18-21-year-olds as well as a mandatory waiting period for gun sales.
The Cornyn aide stated that there were also Democrat proposals: a 21-day waiting time for anyone under 21 to buy any firearm; a ban on high-capacity magazines; universal background checks; safe storage requirements and criminal penalties for improperly storing firearms in their homes; and a requirement for a license to purchase an assault rifle.
Fox News was also informed by a separate GOP aide that Democrats had supported these proposals in talks.
Multiple sources close to the negotiations said that many of the ideas on the list were rejected by Republicans at the beginning of talks. The assault weapons ban for anyone under 21 was the most popular idea that Democrats supported, sources confirm.
However, it was not included in the final framework. The deal that was announced Sunday only deals with 18-to-21 year-olds. It includes an “investigative time to review juvenile mental health records, including checks with local law enforcement databases.”
The final framework includes provisions regarding straw buying firearms, support for state red flag law and closing the “boyfriend loophole”, which allows court-adjudicated domestic abusers who are not married to their partner to purchase guns. It also clarifies the definition of a firearms seller. The deal also contains provisions regarding school safety and mental health.
Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) led negotiations for Democrats. Although he has repeatedly stated that he wants Congress to do more on gun control, he is willing to make even a small deal with Republicans in order to get at least something done. Fox News Monday’s request for comment from Murphy’s office was not immediately answered by Murphy’s office.
The initial framework was signed by 10 Republicans. This means that there are theoretically enough GOP votes for the break of a filibuster to pass a bill in 50-50.
However, this number may be shaky as legislators will still need to agree on a legislative text and not just broad principles within a framework.
After a string of mass shootings, Senate discussions on gun legislation started in the wake. One in Uvalde in Texas killed 19 children and injured two others. A mass shooting at a Buffalo grocery store that was apparently motivated by racial motivation also took the lives of 10 people.
Three people were recently killed and one was injured in a shooting incident in Smithsburg, Maryland. A man opened fire in a Columbia Machine factory break room.
Cornyn stressed that the Sunday framework of 20 senators will not stop Americans exercising their Second Amendment rights. He tweeted Sunday that the framework “will not infringe upon the rights of law-abiding firearm owners.”
Others Republicans say they won’t support legislation that creates new rules or regulations about owning firearms. They also attack Cornyn’s group because it is squishy with GOP voters’ priorities.
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