The House passed two laws on Thursday aimed at strengthening background checks on sales and transfers of firearms, a top priority for Democratic lawmakers.
The Bipartisan Background Checks Act – led by the Representative Mike Thompson
Charles (Mike) Michael ThompsonThis week: Congress prepared to send 0.9 trillion coronavirus bill to Biden firearm violence prevention groups. Upbeat history verification legislation can be passed at this Congress Democrats reintroduce gun sales history verification legislation MORE (D-Calif.) – seeks to “use the current background check process” in an attempt to ensure that individuals prohibited from carrying a weapon cannot obtain it.
The bill passed a 227-203 vote with eight Republicans supporting the measure and one Democrat, Mr Jared Golden (Maine), resisting his party to vote against.
The legislation would implement new background check requirements for arms transfers between individuals.
Under current law, unlicensed and private sellers are not required to conduct background checks for arms transfers, although licensed arms dealers are required to do so.
The bill would require that “a licensed arms dealer, manufacturer or importer” first take possession of the weapon while a background check was being conducted.
The legislation creates an exemption for transfers made as a gift between spouses.
Although the bill faced resistance from several Republican lawmakers, three Republicans – Reps. Fred Upton
Frederick (Fred) Stephen UptonBiden calls for bipartisan meeting on cancer research Republicans, please save your party Democrats criticize politics, GOP fights for Trump MORE (Mich.), Chris Smith
Christopher (Chris) Henry SmithDemocrats under pressure to comply with the labor litmus test bill that Biden can build on Pope Francis’ visit to Iraq The Hill’s Morning Report – Presented by Facebook – House pulls Greene off the committees; Senate advances in budget MORE (NJ) and Brian Fitzpatrick
Brian K. FitzpatrickBusiness groups praise and criticize the approval of the COVID Mellman relief bill: Party brand vs. personal brand Hillicon Valley: Democrats pressure Facebook to ‘take responsibility’ for placing gun accessory ads | Lawmakers introduce bill that allows Americans to prosecute foreign hackers | Malala Yousafzai signs content agreement with Apple MORE (Pa.) – co-sponsored the legislation.
GOP Reps. Vern Buchanan
Vernon Gale BuchananMORE (Florida), Maria Salazar (Florida), Andrew Garbarino (NY), Carlos Gimenez (Florida) and Adam Kinzinger
Adam Daniel Kinzinger40 Republicans vote against Greene Kinzinger motion: The GOP will become a ‘regional party’ if Marjorie Taylor Greene’s postponement tactics don’t change MORE GOP (Ill.) He also joined the Democrats in supporting the move on Thursday.
Proponents argued that it is a necessary step to curb armed violence and ensure that weapons do not fall into the wrong hands.
“We shouldn’t need a pandemic to reduce armed violence in this country. The way to do this should be by passing common sense legislation on gun safety in Congress to make it more difficult for deadly weapons to reach the hands of those who cannot carry them responsibly, ”the majority leader in the House Steny Hoyer
Steny Hamilton HoyerHouse approves .9T COVID-19 relief in partisan vote On The Money: COVID-19 relief project in progress for House approval, Biden signature Wednesday | The first new checks will be released next week. Overnight Health Care: Study reveals that Pfizer vaccine neutralizes Brazilian variant | New CDC guidelines are a blow to the struggling aviation industry | House will vote Wednesday on relief COVID MORE (D-Md.) Said during the debate on Wednesday.
“This is what HR 8, the Bipartisan Background Check Act, would do. Nine out of 10 Americans support reforms in this bill. This includes the majority of Republicans and the majority of responsible gun owners. This is one of the greatest examples of legislation that really reflects the will of the American people. “
But critics of the measure argue that it is a violation of the United States’ Second Amendment rights and would do little to prevent the violence.
Rep. Thomas Massie
Thomas Harold MassieCan members of Congress carry firearms in the Capitol complex? Republicans unite to keep Cheney in power House Republicans prepare for conference meeting amid party civil war MORE (R-Ky.) He argued that statistics show that most firearm-related crimes are not committed by people trying to obtain firearms legally. He added that the new regulations could prevent victims of abuse from obtaining or borrowing a weapon for the purposes of timely protection.
“What did the history checks achieve? Well, the DOJ [Department of Justice] said there were 112,000 denials in one year. Who are these 112,000 people? Well, my colleagues across the hall would make you think that those were criminals – they saved you from these criminals, ”he said on the floor.
“But how many of those 112,000 were prosecuted for the crime of trying to acquire that weapon? According to the DOJ, 12 one to 12 a year. Who were the other 100,000? ”
Republicans also criticized the bill for omitting language that would require arms dealers to alert the Immigration and Customs Department in the event that an undocumented immigrant attempts to buy a weapon, a provision that was previously approved in a 2019 repurchase motion. .
Republican Party lawmakers have been unsuccessful in their attempt to revise the bill using the procedural tactics of this Congress.
The second background check bill approved by the House on Thursday – the Enhanced Background Checks Act, led by the House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn
James (Jim) Enos ClyburnGraham on COVID-19’s help to black farmers: ‘This is indemnity’ On The Money: COVID-19 relief project pending House approval, Biden signature Wednesday | The first new checks will be issued starting next week This week: Congress must send bill of 0.9 trillion coronavirus to Biden MORE (DS.C.) – aims to close the “Charleston gap”.
This bill passed a 219-210 vote, with Republican representatives Fitzpatrick and Smith and Democratic representatives Golden and Ron Kind
Family lawyer Ronald (Ron) James KindFloyd overturns qualified immunity for police officers Johnson says leaving office after 2022 ‘probably my preference now’ Single Republican Party vote on House police reform bill says he ‘accidentally pressed the button wrong vote ‘MORE (D-Wis.) Breaking with their respective parties in the vote.
According to the legislation, the review period in which a background check can be carried out before purchasing a firearm would be extended from the current three days to ten.
Clyburn first presented the project after the 2015 shooting at the Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, SC, where a white supremacist killed nine black parishioners.
“These people who were practicing their faith, their faith that taught them to receive a stranger, a stranger who came to their door and they received him in their Bible study, he sat with them for an hour. The stranger they received had opened fire and killed nine of them, one of whom was the pastor, a former intern of mine, “said Clyburn during the plenary debate on Wednesday.” This law would have prevented that gentleman from taking a gun. “
But Republican Party critics said the two projects were in violation of the constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens.
“I will not stand still and allow our rights to be withdrawn. My colleagues across the hall claim that these notes will save lives. However, nothing in them would have prevented any of the recent mass shootings that have taken place in our country, ”Rep. Ben Cline
Benjamin (Ben) Lee ClineREAD: Republicans who voted to contest election results Parties collide because of police reform The Republican Party asks Trump not to support additional funding for state and local governments MORE (R-Va.) He said.
“Instead of chasing criminals who break the law, Democrats want to create a false narrative that criminalizes private arms ownership. Democrats will say that these accounts close the gaps. But the loophole they believe to exist is that law-abiding Americans may even have weapons in the first place. “
Both projects are supported by the Biden government, but the legislation faces an uphill battle in the upper house, where it is unlikely to garner enough Republican Party support to meet the 60-vote limit needed to pass.
Updated: 12:48 pm