The bill still has a number of obstacles to removal. In the Senate, he will face two more key votes – first to break up a filibuster and then for the final election.
The vote to break the filibuster will be a critical moment with high stakes on the law, as it will take 60 votes to make progress, meaning at least 10 Republicans will have to join Democrats in support. If the senators manage to break the filibuster, then the bill will go to a final vote. Then the Chamber will have to pass the bill.
Tuesday’s vote in favor of the measure, which came shortly after a bipartisan group of senators released the bill, is the clearest sign so far that the weapons safety bill is likely to overcome this filibuster to end the debate this week. Republican senators who voted to improve the law on Tuesday, according to the Senate Press Gallery, included Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Johnny Ernst of Iowa, Todd Young of Indiana, Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, Lisa Merkaw. Roy Blunt of Missouri, Richard Burr of North Carolina, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Susan Collins of Maine, John Cornin of Texas, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Rob Portman of Ohio, Mitt Romney of Utah and Tom Tillis of North Carolina. Republican-led McConnell, Ernst, and Capitot, as well as Mrkowski and Young, were not among the 10 Republicans who initially signed in support of the gun security framework.
The text of the bill came after days of lawmakers bargaining over several controversial points, raising questions about whether the effort would fail. Lawmakers now have to compete with the clock before the Senate leaves for the holiday on July 4 in an attempt to get the bill out of the hall.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer praised the two-party negotiators Tuesday night, saying the bill was “progress and will save lives.”
“While this is not all we want, this legislation is urgently needed,” the New York Democrat added in a Senate speech.
As for the timetable for the legislation, Sumer said: “We will move to the final adoption as soon as possible. I expect the bill to pass in the Senate by the end of the week.”
The bill – entitled the Law on Two-Party Safe Communities – was published by Cornin, Tilis and Democratic Sense. Chris Murphy of Connecticut and Kirsten Cinema of Arizona.
Senate trade-off legislation on gun safety includes millions of dollars in investment in mental health, school safety, crisis intervention programs, and incentives for states to include juvenile files in the National Immediate Verification System.
The bill makes significant changes to the process when someone between the ages of 18 and 21 goes to buy a firearm. It also closes the so-called boyfriend door, a great victory for Democrats who have fought for a decade.
What’s in the bill
Here is a breakdown of what is in the legislation:
- $ 750 million to help countries implement and implement crisis response programs. The money can be used to implement and manage red flag programs and other crisis intervention programs such as mental health courts, drug courts and veterans’ courts. Whether this money could be used for things other than red flag laws was a major obstacle. Republicans have managed to raise money for states that do not have red flag laws but have other crisis intervention programs.
- Closing the so-called boyfriend door. This legislation closes an annual loophole in the Domestic Violence Act, which prohibits persons convicted of crimes of domestic violence against married partners or partners with whom they have shared children or partners with whom they have lived together to have weapons. The old statutes do not include intimate partners who cannot live together, be married or share children. The law will now prohibit anyone convicted of a crime of domestic violence against someone with whom they have a “continuing serious relationship of a romantic or intimate nature” from having a weapon. The law has no retroactive effect. However, this will allow those convicted of domestic violence crimes to regain their gun rights after five years if they have not committed other crimes. This is a key concession for Republicans.
- It requires more arms dealers to register as federally licensed firearms dealers. The bill applies to people who sell guns as a major source of income but have previously avoided registering as federally licensed gun dealers. This is important because federally licensed dealers are required to conduct inspections before selling a weapon to anyone.
- More in-depth examinations of people aged 18-21 who want to buy a weapon. The bill encourages states to include juvenile records in the National System of Immediate Verification of Criminal Origin with Grants, and implements a new protocol to verify these records. Gives NICS three days to review a person’s record. If something potentially disqualifying occurs, NICS is given an additional seven days. If the inspection is not completed by then, the transfer of the weapon is completed.
- Creates new federal laws against arms and straw trafficking. Facilitates the persecution of those who buy weapons for those who do not have the right to buy weapons themselves.
- Increases funding for mental health and school security programs. This money is directed to a series of programs, many of which already exist, but will be funded more steadily under this law.
This story and title were updated with further developments on Tuesday.
CNN’s Manu Raju and Shona Misel contributed to this report.
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