Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell pledged on Tuesday to vote for the bipartisan gun and school safety bill, likely assuring the measure’s passage.
Mr. McConnell said the legislation, which was negotiated by one of his top lieutenants, struck the right balance between protecting the public and not infringing on the rights of law-abiding gun owners.
“For years, the far-left falsely claimed that Congress could only address the terrible issue of mass murder by trampling on law-abiding Americans’ constitutional rights,” said the Kentucky Republican. “This bill proves that false.”
Last week, Mr. McConnell threw his weight behind the initial agreement upon which the legislation was written. By expressing endorsing the bill now, the minority leader has given moderate Republican sufficient coverage to back the measure.
The endorsement likely ensures that at least 10 GOP lawmakers will vote with all 50 Democrats to avert the Senate’s filibuster threshold.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has pledged to bring the measure up for an initial vote as early as Tuesday evening.
The bill boosts funding for school security and mental health treatment, while tightening the background check system for gun purchases by including domestic violence and juvenile records. It also creates a new block grant program to subsidize states that adopt red flag laws, which allow courts to confiscate firearms from individuals deemed a threat, or set up other crisis intervention programs.
• Haris Alic can be reached at halic@washingtontimes.com.
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