Politics

US Senate agrees on gun law reform

After the massacre at a Texas school, Republicans and Democrats have agreed on a proposal to reform gun laws.

Only small changes are planned – but it would be the first time in years that gun violence has political consequences.

In view of the escalating gun violence in the USA, negotiators from Democrats and Republicans in the US Senate have agreed on a – albeit minor – tightening of gun laws.

The cross-party compromise would, for example, make youth custody information available for gun buyers under the age of 21 if they were subjected to background checks. The perpetrators behind the most recent attacks at a supermarket in Buffalo, which killed 10 people, and at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, which killed 21, were each 18 years old.

Better background checks

The deal would also result in US states receiving money to enact gun violence prevention laws. This would make it easier to take guns away from people perceived as potentially violent, improve school safety and promote mental health programs. In addition, more people selling guns would need to obtain federal dealer licenses, which would require them to conduct background checks on gun buyers.

Biden wanted more

The deal falls far short of the tougher moves sought by President Joe Biden and many Democrats. What the senators agreed on “doesn’t do everything I think is necessary, but it reflects important steps in the right direction and would be the most significant gun safety legislation passed by Congress in decades,” said the US President.

If the proposal is accepted, it would actually be the first time in a long time that escalating gun violence would have political consequences. The aim is now to swiftly convert the agreement into law – possibly as early as this month, before political momentum wanes in the wake of the recent massacres.

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