The big picture: The Senate is considering the most important arms safety measure it has seen in decades, after a bipartisan group arrived at a framework that includes enhanced history checks for under-21s, mental health funding and school safety and government grants for the “red flag laws. News guidance: Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah) received questions from Fox News Sunday about his refusal to support or oppose the bipartisan bill. Lee is a staunch opponent of gun control laws.
Presenter Shannon Bream cited a recent Fox News poll that found “at least a boost in the public sphere” to pass gun legislation, asking Lee: “Are you out of agreement with your constituents?” The vast majority of Americans support history checks on guns (88%) and ammunition (80%), raising the legal age for buying assault weapons (82%) and red flag laws (81%), according to the poll. Lee replied that voters “are not asked questions about a specific language in the legislative text.” He added: “It is the job of the legislator to take care of the interests and rights of the law-abiding citizens they represent.”
The other side: Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), who has been involved in efforts to reach a bipartisan agreement, was criticized when he took the stage at the Texas GOP conference this weekend.
Representative Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas) and his staff were also physically assaulted at the conference. Following the shooting in Uvalde, Crenshaw said he would support the extension of background checks to include the history of minors between the ages of 18 and 21 seeking to purchase firearms, according to Newsweek.
