Bipartisan compromise reached on gun safety

WASHINGTON－US senators unveiled a bill on Tuesday addressing the gun violence epidemic plaguing the United States as they locked down a narrow set of reforms that were nevertheless hailed as the first significant firearms controls in a generation.

The cross-party group, which had been working for weeks on the wording of the legislation, voiced confidence that it would have enough support to pass the Senate, and it could be signed into law by US President Joe Biden as soon as next week.

The limited proposals do not go as far as reforms called for by Biden, such as an all-out ban on assault rifles.

But Chris Murphy, the senator leading negotiations for the Democrats, hailed the bill as the "most significant piece of anti-gun violence legislation in nearly 30 years".

"This bill is going to save thousands of lives," he tweeted.

Top Republican bargainer, Senator John Cornyn of Texas, said of the pact: "Some think it goes too far, others think it doesn't go far enough. And I get it. It's the nature of compromise."

Lawmakers had been up against the clock－aware that any delay risked losing the sense of urgency ignited by the fatal shooting of 19 children and two adults in Uvalde, Texas, and of 10 black people at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York, last month.

The last significant federal gun control legislation was passed in 1994, banning the manufacture for civilian use of assault rifles and large capacity ammunition clips.

But it expired a decade later and there has been no serious effort at reform since, despite rising gun violence.

"This bipartisan gun safety legislation is progress and will save lives. While it is not everything we want, this legislation is urgently needed," said Democratic Senate leader Chuck Schumer in a statement.

Cross-party blueprint

The cross-party group of senators agreed on a framework on June 12 that includes enhanced background checks for buyers aged under 21, $11 billion in funding for mental health and $2 billion for school safety programs.

The blueprint also calls for funding to incentivize states to implement "red flag" laws to remove firearms from people considered a threat.

However, the National Rifle Association, the US' powerful gun rights lobby, rejected the deal.

"We will oppose this gun control legislation because it falls short at every level," said the powerful organization in a statement. "It does little to truly address violent crime, while opening the door to unnecessary burdens on the exercise of Second Amendment freedom by law-abiding gun owners."

Biden had pushed for more substantial reforms, including a ban on assault rifles－which were used in both the Texas and New York shootings－and high-capacity magazines.

But the political challenge of legislating in a 50-50 Senate, where most bills require 60 votes to pass, means that more wide-ranging reforms are unrealistic.

Agencies Via Xinhua