Senators pledged to take swift action as part of efforts to reach consensus on a joint bill between the two political parties in the wake of the country’s shootings in the US Senate. Members of Congress say there is progress on reaching an agreement.
In deliberations led by Democratic Senator Chris Murphy and Republican Senator John Cornyn, senators are trying to come together on a plan that could strengthen school safety, bridge gaps in the mental health system in the United States, and ensure that guns don’t fall into the hands of criminals or those who pose a danger to the public or themselves.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said progress had been made in talks and they could reach an agreement “very soon”.
“As soon as the suprapartisan group comes to an agreement, I want to bring the bill to the General Assembly for voting as soon as possible,” Schumer said.
Negotiators and Congressional advisers said there was a possibility in principle to reach an agreement during the day. But if an agreement isn’t reached, members of Congress may get a clearer picture of the scope of talks on the issue before they leave Washington for the weekend.
“We’re going to have a better idea of whether there’s still momentum,” Republican Senator Cornyn told reporters yesterday. “I think there’s this momentum right now,” he said.
Democrat Senator Chris Murphy also stated that he aims to pass a bill that could prevent the cycle of armed attacks in America before the Senate US Independence Day recess on July 4th. “This is going to be a big and historic deal and we need to get this right,” Murphy said.
The Democrat-dominated House of Representatives passed the gun control bill yesterday in a session where members of Congress voted along party lines.
However, this bill is unlikely to be accepted in an equation where the balance between Democrats and Republicans is 50-50. As a political party, Republicans consistently defend the right to gun ownership.