Chris Murphy (left), John Cornyn.Photo: Eric Lee/Bloomberg via Getty, Ting Shen/Bloomberg via Getty
In the wake of a number of recent mass shootings, a Connecticut Democrat and Texas Republican are coming together with the goal of finding common ground on gun reform.
Mass shootings are all-too-familiar for Chris Murphy, D-Conn., and John Cornyn, R-Texas, both of whom have been in office while major events took place in their home states.
Murphy, 48, became a leading proponent of gun reform in the wake of theSandy Hook Elementary School massacrein 2012, in which 20 children and 6 adults were killed. Cornyn, 70, was in office in Nov. 2017, when a shooter opened fire during a Sunday service and killed 26 parishioners at the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs — and in May of this year, when21 people were killed at Robb Elementary Schoolin Uvalde, including 19 children.
Now, Cornyn and Murphy areleading talksabout how to move forward on gun legislation proposals.
Bipartisan, federal measures have been attempted in the past — without much success.
Just four months after the Sandy Hook shooting in 2013, theManchin-Toomey amendment— which would have required background checks on all commercial gun sales — failed, getting only 54 of the 60 votes it needed to overcome a filibuster.
This time, some lawmakers say, is different.
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“I’ve never been part of negotiations as serious as these,” Murphy said in an appearance on CNN’sState of the UnionSunday. “There are more Republicans at the table talking about changing our gun laws and investing in mental health than at any time since Sandy Hook.”
Murphy offered a caveat, however: “Now, I’ve also been part of many failed negotiations in the past, so I’m sober minded about our chances.”
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Murphy his goal was to come to an agreement “this week,” Politico reports.
“My goal is to get agreement this week,” he said. “But I don’t feel any deadlines being put upon me in these negotiations. We’re going to pay a price with the American public if we don’t come up with a deal soon. The pressure I feel is from the people that I represent.”
So far, there are scant details about what a bipartisan agreement might entail. Though the lawmakers participating in the discussions have offered some clues.
“We’re talking about a meaningful change in our gun laws, a major investment in mental health, perhaps some money for school security, that would make a difference,” Murphy said onState of the Union. “On the table is red flag laws, changes to our background check system to improve the existing system, a handful of other items that will make a difference.”
In a video posted to his website, Cornyn offered similar details about the ongoing discussions saying, “I want to be clear, though: we are not talking about restricting the rights of current law-abiding gun owners or citizens.”
“If we’re actually serious about finding common ground and building consensus, those sorts of things will stand no chance of passing the Senate,” he added, saying he is instead interested in measures aimed at “strengthening mental health, bolstering school security, keeping guns out of the hands of people who are already legally prohibited from having them.”
To express your opinion on gun reform proposals to your own representatives in Congress, you can look them up and contact them here:congress.gov/members
source: people.com
