Senator Mitch McConnell, the minority leader and one of 15 Republican senators who voted in favor of gun safety legislation last year, has made no public statements about the mass shootings. And in a sign of how low expectations are that Congress will act to address the recent violence, he was not even asked about them during his weekly press conference.
Democrats have admitted they don’t have the 60 votes needed to overcome Republican opposition and pass a new assault weapons ban. Even if they do, there’s little chance Speaker Kevin McCarthy will put such a measure to a vote in the House, where Republicans staunchly oppose an assault weapons ban or any measure deemed to be a violation of gun rights.
On Tuesday night, McCarthy told reporters that California, his home state, already has some of the strictest gun laws in the nation. And he said he would not commit to any new gun laws until he had more information about both shootings, which he described as atypical because the gunmen had old.
Last year, when Democrats still controlled both houses of Congress, McCarthy, then the minority leader, got his members to vote against the bipartisan bill that became law in June , which increased background checks on potential gun buyers of any age. 18 to 21. It also encourages states to pass “red flag” laws that allow for the temporary seizure of firearms from people the judge deems too dangerous to possess. The measure also ensures for the first time that serious dating partners will be included in federal law banning domestic abusers from buying guns, a priority that has long shunned gun safety advocates. for several years.
In the new Congress, Republicans are not simply pushing back on Democrats’ additional gun safety efforts; they are proposing legislation that seeks to protect people who sell, own and make firearms.
Representative Andy Biggs, Republican of Arizona, in the opening days of the new Congress, introduced the “Smart Non-Payroll Act for Anti-2A Companies,” legislation that seeks to penalize crippled payment processors listing gun retailers in a separate payment category, which the bill proponents say could lead to the creation of a national registry of gun owners.
Representative Claudia Tenney, Republic of New York, issued a resolution that would declare New York State Law placing strict limits on guns outside the home, signed by Governor Kathy Hochul last year, is unconstitutional.
