Democrats to start moving gun control legislation through Congress



The House Judiciary Committee will reportedly meet in emergency session Thursday for the Democratic majority to mark up a series of gun control bills in the wake of the mass shootings in Buffalo, New York, and Uvalde, Texas.

Democrats want to vote on gun control and campaign on GOP opposition to it as the nation is still roiling from the shocking murders of 19 elementary school children and two teachers in Texas by a deranged gunman last week. They have introduced eight bills related to the issue and are calling their omnibus legislation the "Protecting Our Kids Act."

The bills would raise the age requirement to buy a semi-automatic rifle from 18 to 21 years old; make it a federal crime to import, sale, manufacture, transfer, or possess high-capacity magazines, with a grandfather clause for existing magazines; require existing bump stocks to be registered under the National Firearms Act; bans new bump stocks; codify the Biden administration's new regulations on so-called ghost guns; crack down on straw purchases for firearms; and create new requirements for storing guns at home where minors are present.

According to Punchbowl News, Democratic leaders plan to bring the omnibus gun control package to the House floor early next week, where it is expected to pass. Right now they are ironing out the details on whether to bring up all the bills at once or vote on them individually.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and her leadership team reportedly discussed action on guns after the massacre at Robb Elementary School last week and the racially motivated murder of 10 people at a Buffalo grocery store two weeks before.

"We felt like we needed to do something big and comprehensive after two mass shootings in two weeks," a Democratic aide told NBC News.

However, everyone recognizes that major gun control legislation has no chance of passing the U.S. Senate, where 60 votes are needed to overcome a filibuster from Republicans. It's not even clear that the 50-member Democratic majority could pass a gun control bill without the filibuster, as Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) has previously opposed measures that would expand federal background checks — objecting to how these bills would apply to private transactions.

Still, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) gave his assent to begin bipartisan negotiations on some form of gun legislation last week. Reports indicate there may be small bipartisan consensus on a bill that would incentivize states to adopt so-called red-flag laws, which would permit police or family members of individuals believed to be a danger to themselves or others to seek a court order to have that person's guns taken away.

Schumer implies no gun control legislation will come to the floor until after November elections



Though he decried a "plague of gun violence" in America on the Senate floor Wednesday, Democratic Majority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer seemed to suggest there will not be an immediate vote on gun control legislation as the nation reels from the deadly school shooting in Uvalde, Texas. Instead, he urged voters who care about the gun issue to head to the polls this November and vote for lawmakers who represent their interests.

"A plague, a plague upon this nation, a plague of gun violence that has taken over the country," Schumer said in a speech denouncing Republicans for opposing legislation passed by the House that would expand background checks for firearm purchases.

"The problem in the Senate is simple: Too many members on the other side of the aisle are disconnected from the suffering of the American people. Too many members on that side care more about the NRA than they do about families who grieve victims of gun violence," he said.

A fierce election-year debate over gun control has reignited in America after a deadly shooting in Buffalo, New York, claimed the lives of ten people on May 14 and now a massacre at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, left at least 19 children and two adults dead, according to CNN.

Republicans and Democrats condemned the shooting and expressed sympathy for the grieving families of the victims, but Schumer and other Democrats say thoughts and prayers are insufficient and ineffective — that laws need to be passed to make it harder for people to obtain firearms.

"They talk of the real villain being mental illness and say nothing about the fact that we are a nation suffocating in firearms," Schumer said of Republicans.

"It's far too easy for people to access weapons in this country and then to use them to slaughter people, slaughter children, by the dozens," he asserted.

But Schumer acknowledged political reality in the Senate — that bipartisan compromise is "unlikely" and that Democrats do not have 60 votes to overcome a filibuster and pass either of the two gun background check bills passed by the House during President Joe Biden's term.

"There are some who want this body to quickly vote on sensible gun safety legislation, legislation supported by the vast majority of Americans: Democrats, Republicans, and independents alike. They want to see this body vote quickly so the American people can know which side each senator is on — which side each senator is on," Schumer said.

"I'm sympathetic to that," he continued. "And I believe that accountability votes are important. But sadly, this isn't a case of the American people not knowing where their senators stand. They know. They know because my Republican colleagues are perfectly clear on this issue, crystal clear. Republicans don't pretend that they support sensible gun safety legislation."

Instead of a Senate vote, Schumer alluded to the upcoming midterm elections in November, when he said "Americans can make a choice."

"Americans can reject the Republican guns-at-all-costs doctrine, obeisance to the NRA, not even working for the most simple, sensitive, positive, and popular gun legislation. Americans can cast their vote in November for senators or members of Congress that reflect how he or she stands with guns, with this issue — this issue — at the top of the voters' lists."

If the Senate cannot agree on a "strong bill that has bipartisan support," which Schumer reiterated was "unlikely," then he said Democrats will "continue to pursue this issue on our own. We have no choice. It's too important. Lives are at stake."

After Schumer spoke, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) addressed the Senate, calling the Uvalde massacre "literally sickening."

"It's literally sickening, sickening to consider the innocent young lives that were stolen by this pointless, senseless, brutality," McConnell said.

"The entire nation's hearts are broken for the victims and for their families. Words simply fail."

22 dead in mass shooting at Texas elementary school, including 18 students and 3 teachers



At least fifteen were killed in a mass shooting event at a Texas elementary school according to Gov. Greg Abbott, including 14 children and one teacher.

The harrowing incident unfolded on Tuesday afternoon at Robb Elementary School in the small city of Uvalde, which lies about 80 miles west of San Antonio.

Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin told Fox News that the shooting began about a block away from Robb Elementary but that the shooter then ran into the school. Another report said that the suspect had barricaded himself inside.

An active shooter situation was reported and the school went into lockdown until law enforcement authorities were able to subdue the suspect about an hour later.

There is an active shooter at Robb Elementary. Law enforcement is on site. Your cooperation is needed at this time by not visiting the campus. As soon as more information is gathered it will be shared.

The rest of the district is under a Secure Status.
— Uvalde CISD (@Uvalde_CISD) May 24, 2022

A spokesperson from Uvalde Memorial Hospital confirmed to CNN that two of the children had died and that they had received 13 children with various injuries from the shooting.

The hospital said a 45-year-old was also being treated for being grazed by a bullet.

One business owner near the school told 1200 News Radio that he witnessed the suspect in a shootout with law enforcement officials — including the Border Patrol. He said he also saw children being evacuated from the school through the windows.

Officials later said the suspect was an 18-year-old male and that he had died. Multiple law enforcement officials said that police were trying to apprehend a murder suspect when he ran into the elementary school.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

Here's a local news report about the incident:

Active shooter situation at an elementary school in Uvalde; shooter in custody, police saywww.youtube.com