The Senate on Tuesday broke a nearly 30-year stalemate on gun control legislation, voting 64 to 34 to propose an 80-page gun security bill in response to mass shootings in Buffalo, New York, and Uwalde, Texas, at which killed 31 people. , including 19 students.
The Senate voted to proceed with the bill just over an hour after negotiators unveiled the text, giving lawmakers some time to absorb the details.
The bill gained momentum after a group of 10 Republican senators, led by NRA-rated Sen. John Cornin (Texas), signed a bipartisan framework of principles with 10 Democrats earlier this month.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) Gave a new impetus to the effort last week when he announced he supported the bipartisan framework and would also support legislation based on its key points.
Every Senate Democrat was expected to support the bill, although it did not include the broader reforms that many support, such as banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines and universal scrutiny of the past.
The vote shook the policy of debate on gun violence in Congress, as many Republicans who voted in favor of the bill have an A or A-plus NRA rating.
Here are the 14 Republicans who voted for:
Senator John Cornin (R-Texas)
Cornin is a senior member of the Senate Justice Committee who negotiated with Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) Last year on legislation to expand past checks on commercial vendors, but without success.
Cornin has achieved one of the few notable achievements in gun violence legislation in recent years when he co-authored and helped pass the Fix NICS Act in 2018. The Act required federal agencies to draw up plans to upload all necessary information to the National System. for immediate criminal investigations.
McConnell enlisted Cornin to lead the Republican talks shortly after a bipartisan group of senators met in Murphy’s basement to begin talks in hopes of finding a way to respond to the Buffalo and Uwalde shootings.
Cornin has an A-plus rating from the NRA, and McConnell praised him for knowing more about gun safety policy than anyone else at the GOP Senate conference.
Senator Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.)
McConnell expressed interest in passing a bill to respond to the violence in Buffalo and Uwalde when he directed Cornin to lead talks with Democrats.
A Republican senator close to McConnell said the leader’s decision to give Cornin the job showed he wanted a positive result.
McConnell later said this when he spoke to reporters this month.
“I hope we can find a bipartisan solution that is directly related to the facts of this horrific massacre,” he said in late May.
McConnell announced last week that he would support the gun security bill if it complied with the bipartisan framework approved by 10 Republican and 10 Democratic senators on June 12th.
McConnell also has an A-plus rating from the National Revenue Agency.
Senator Tom Tillis (RN.C.)
Tillis formed the core negotiating team with Cornin and Democratic Sensor Chris Murphy (D-Conn.).
He was initially considered skeptical of gun safety legislation when he raised concerns about red flag legislation at the start of the debate, but after Cornin and McConnell led him to the talks, he proved to be a valuable asset to the talks.
Tillis is seen as a good Republican political barometer, and his support for the framework may have encouraged other Republicans to sign.
It has a rating of NRA.
Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine)
Collins was one of the Senate’s major merchants, and she attended the first meeting at Murphy’s Asylum in late May. Collins has been particularly active in negotiations to combat the illegal purchase of straw and the trafficking of firearms.
She introduced the Law on Stopping the Illicit Trafficking in Firearms in April last year.
Collins has a B rating from the NRA.
Senator Lindsey Graham (RS.C.)
Graham sponsored legislation with Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) In 2018 to amend the Federal Penal Code to allow and establish procedures for a family member or law enforcement officer to seek a court order to confiscate a firearm from someone who is deemed to pose a risk to himself or others.
Graham attended the first meeting of the bipartisan group at Murphy’s Asylum, and said afterwards that he supported legislation to create incentives for states to enforce red flag laws if they chose.
Graham has an A rating from the National Revenue Agency.
Senator Bill Cassidy (R-La.)
Cassidy is working on the mental health component of the gun safety bill and is participating in the first bipartisan discussion at Murphy’s office over the phone.
Cassidy is building a reputation for himself as a bipartisan trader. Last year, he signed a statement approving a $ 1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure framework that paved the way for the deal in the end.
He is not for re-election until 2026.
Cassidy has an A rating from the National Revenue Agency.
Senator Roy Blunt (R-Mo.)
Blunt is chairman of the Senate Republican Political Commission and a close ally of McConnell.
It is not as moderate as other Republicans, who signed the bipartisan framework on gun safety principles earlier this month.
McConnell’s desire to get a result on gun safety legislation may have helped Blunt vote yes. He resigned from Congress at the end of the year.
Blunt is rated A by the National Revenue Agency.
Senator Richard Burr (RN.C.)
Burr is another McConnell loyalist who withdrew from Congress later this year.
The prominent role his Tilis counterpart played in the talks has given Burr more incentive to vote to continue the bill.
He also signed the bipartisan framework of principles, published on June 12th.
There is an A-plus rating from the National Revenue Agency.
Senator Mitt Romney (Utah)
Romney, along with Collins and Senator Lisa Markowski (Alaska), is emerging as the three most likely Republican votes for change in this Congress.
He has twice voted to convict former President Trump on impeachment charges.
Romney kept his participation in the discussions rather weak, but he signed the two-party framework in June.
He played an important role in negotiating last year’s bipartisan infrastructure bill, and earlier that bill compromised with Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (DN.Y.) on a $ 10 billion COVID relief package.
He is one of the largest bipartisan traders in the Senate and has an A rating from the National Revenue Agency.
Senator Rob Portman (Ohio)
Portman was one of 10 Republican senators who backed the framework since June along with 10 Democrats.
He is an adviser to McConnell’s leadership team and will retire from Congress later this year.
Portman was one of the leading negotiators on last year’s bipartisan infrastructure bill. Most recently, he emerged as the Senate’s leading champion in support of Ukraine’s fight against the Russian invasion.
There is a grade A from the NRA.
Senator Shelley Moore Capito (RW.Va.)
Capito was one of four surprising Republican votes in favor of the gun security bill Tuesday night.
Capitot disapproved of the June framework, and when asked about it, he said he would have to review the details of the legislative text before giving an opinion on whether to support or oppose the bill.
Capito is also an adviser to McConnell’s leadership team, and her counterpart, Sen. Joe Manchin (DW.Va.), was an early participant in bipartisan discussions in response to the Uwalde violence.
The capital is rated A by the National Revenue Agency.
Senator Johnny Ernst (Iowa)
Ernst disapproved of the bipartisan framework when it was first introduced this month, and also said he wanted to review the text before making a decision.
Ernst is a member of McConnell’s leadership team as vice president of the Republican Senate Conference.
She was seen as a possible “yes” vote after she signaled her readiness to consider raising the minimum age for the purchase of an AR-15 rifle to 21.
It is rated A by the NRA.
Senator Lisa Markowski (R-Alaska)
Murkowski was seen as a mysterious vote aimed at discussing the law on gun safety.
Murkowski dismissed reporters’ questions about various weapons security proposals in recent weeks, saying she was focused on other issues.
She played a leading role in negotiations on last year’s $ 1 trillion infrastructure bill and is not afraid to break with most of her big-voice conference.
She opposed the confirmation of Supreme Court Brett Cavanaugh in 2018 and voted to impeach Trump for inciting an uprising last year.
Mrkowski will be re-elected in November, but she has a political base for herself in Alaska that includes many moderate Republicans, independents and Democrats.
It is rated A by the NRA.
Representative Todd Young (R-Ind.)
Young was one of the biggest surprises on Tuesday after voting to legislate.
DC June 18th organizers “deeply saddened” by deadly shooting March for our lives applauds bipartisan weapons safety bill
He is a former member of McConnell’s elected leadership team as the chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee in 2019 and 2020.
Young has a pragmatic trait and knows that showing independent voters and women from the suburbs, two key electoral blocs that Republicans know how to govern, is a good policy in general elections …
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