Friday, March 29, 2024

US Senate passes first gun control bill in 28 years

The US Senate has passed a gun control bill – the most significant firearms legislation in nearly 30 years. Fifteen Republicans joined Democrats in the upper chamber of Congress to approve the measure by 65 votes to 33.

It comes after a mass shooting last month at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York, and a primary school in Uvalde, Texas, that left a combined 31 people dead.

Before President Joe Biden can sign the bill into law, it must first pass the House of Representatives.

The proposals include more stringent background checks for buyers under 21 and $15 billion (£12.2 billion) in federal financing for mental health initiatives and enhancing school security. Additionally, funding is requested to support the implementation of “red flag” laws by states to take away firearms from those deemed a threat. It also eliminates the infamous “boyfriend loophole” by prohibiting the sale of firearms to anyone found guilty of abusing unmarried intimate partners.

According to the Gun Violence Archive, a non-profit research organization, the US has the highest rate of firearm deaths among the wealthy countries in the world. This year, more than 20,900 people have died in gun violence in the US, including homicide and suicide.

The bill is also significant because it is the first time in decades that proposed reforms have received this level of support from both Democrats and Republicans. Historically, efforts to strengthen US gun laws have been blocked by the Republican party.

“This is not a cure-all for the ways gun violence impacts our nation, but it is a long-overdue step in the right direction,” said Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.

The approval of the bill was applauded by the gun control advocacy group March For Our Lives, which was created by Parkland school shooting survivors.

However, The National Rifle Association (NRA), which is opposed to the legislation, claims that it won’t reduce violence.

Thursday’s vote happened hours after the Supreme Court struck down a New York law restricting who can legally carry a gun – effectively expanding gun rights and illustrating the deep divide in the United States over the issue, said the BBC report.

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