Tensions flare between GOP and Democrats as they discuss enacting gun laws
Thursday, 6/2/22
On Thursday, the House Judiciary Committee passed hefty gun control legislation titled the “Protecting Our Kids Act.” It is not predicted to pass in the Senate due to GOP resistance to stricter gun control laws.
The week was scheduled to be a recess week in the House, but the committee had almost a ten-hour long session discussing the package. Democrats are increasingly voting on gun bills after a series of terrible shootings over the last couple of weeks.
The legislation act targets a variety of bills to help prevent gun violence: raising the legal age to buy certain semiautomatic riles from 18 to 21 years old, ordering new federal offenses for gun trafficking and selling large-capacity magazines, enabling the government to recompense those who give up those magazines through a buyback program, create tax incentive for sales of safe storage devices, and implement criminal consequences for breaking these new requirements for firearm storage on residential grounds (CNN).
Republicans are stubborn to new laws
While discussing these new laws, the GOP gave much backlash to the Democrats. Rep. Jim Jordan said the package was more of a political tactic for Democrats than an aid to the country. He added, “‘Democrats never once reached out to us to seek our input on the legislation we are considering here today. This is not a real attempt in my judgment to find solutions.’"
However, some Democrats are worried that the divide between parties will harden as the bill progresses and that the act will not pass the Senate. Democratic Rep. David Cicilline (Rhode Island) said, “‘The American people are demanding that the Congress take action to reduce gun violence in this country. And if the measure was we're going to only pass bills that we had confidence the Senate would pass, we could go home because we have dozens of bills that are sitting in the Senate awaiting action.’"
Later on in the session, Cicilline attacked Republicans for referring to the Second Amendment to defend their argument against these laws. He emphasized, “‘You know who didn't have due process? You know who didn't have their constitutional right to life respected? The kids at Parkland, and Sandy Hook, and Uvalde and Buffalo, and the list goes on and on.’”
Likewise, Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin (Maryland) said that Republicans mislead the public about the Second Amendment: "‘My colleagues are throwing up the Second Amendment as a smokescreen to protect their opposition to any reasonable gun safety regulation. Enough -- that's what's killing America. You're confusing people by saying that somehow any form of gun safety regulation violates the Second Amendment. That's nonsense. That's bull. That's ridiculous.’"
The tension between parties was evident in the committee room, as it is outside of the room as well. Democrats are hoping for 10 Republicans to agree to the act, though they know this is unlikely. The full House will vote on the act next week, according to Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi.