A Senate test deal that would bolster federal arms laws and provide billions of dollars in new money to prevent future mass shootings came to a close on Tuesday after negotiators settled key disputes that had delayed the passage of a law. orbit. to be voted on by the end of the month. The revelation came more than a week after 20 senators – 10 from each party – signed a framework agreement that combined new arms restrictions with about $ 15 billion in new federal funding for mental health programs and school safety upgrades. While the agreement by 10 Republican senators on a deal was in principle a clear breakthrough, signaling that there could be enough support from the GOP to defeat a Senate adoption, there was no guarantee that negotiators would be able to translate that data. in the final text. But with key disagreements resolved, negotiators said the text of the bill was due to be released Tuesday afternoon, with an initial vote in the Senate coming just hours later. If passed, the bipartisan Safe Havens Act will introduce the most significant new arms restrictions since the 1990s, although it lags behind the broader gun control measures called for by President Biden and other Democrats, such as a new ban. of offensive weapons or restrictions on large-capacity ammunition cartridges. Senators reach bipartisan arms deal, announcing possible breakthrough A key point at the weekend was the “friend’s window” – a loophole in current federal law that prevents domestic violence perpetrators from buying firearms if their victims were either their spouses or their partners who lived with them. or had children. The framework proposed the extension of this order to include offenders who had a “continuing relationship of a romantic or intimate nature” with their victims. However, defining exactly what constitutes such a relationship was a challenge, as was addressing the GOP’s desire to establish a process that would allow offenders to regain their gun rights. According to the draft text of the provision received by the Washington Post, the bill will prohibit a perpetrator of domestic violence who has a “current or recent ex-date relationship with the victim” from owning or buying a weapon. What constitutes a “dating relationship” is not precisely defined in the draft text, which would allow courts to make this determination based on the duration and nature of the relationship, as well as the “frequency and type of interaction” between the persons involved. . The text excludes “occasional acquaintance or ordinary twinning in a business or social context”. These offenders will automatically have the right to regain their gun rights after five years, unless they commit further violent offenses or other foreclosure offenses. Negotiations on the bill have run into a self-imposed deadline to draft the bill and enter the Senate this week so it can be debated and voted on before a scheduled two-week break begins on Thursday. Although leadership aides say senators could have one or two more days to complete the bill, a longer delay is considered unfounded by senators from both parties. Despite the widespread public popularity of these gun provisions, Republicans are facing a strong reaction from the most conservative elements of their electoral base. Democrats, for their part, are wary of engaging in protracted negotiations because of deep skepticism about the Republican Party’s willingness to conclude an arms deal. They also fear it could divert political capital from their other priorities this summer – including a possible resurgence of Biden’s party’s economic agenda, formerly known as Build Back Better. After their last face-to-face meeting on Thursday, the four main negotiators – Senator John Cornyn (R-Tex.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) And Thom Tillis (RN.C.) ) – committed to working all weekend to reach an agreement. Murphy, the Democrats’ chief negotiator, left an optimistic note, saying progress was continuing. “We will find a way to do this” he said. But Cornyn, the GOP chief negotiator, has publicly taken a tougher line, telling reporters as he walked out of the room that he had “finished” talks on key points of contention before leaving for Texas for the weekend. The next day in Houston, Cornyn was heartily reprimanded for giving a speech at the Texas Republican Party’s annual convention – a live public demonstration of the significant political risk he and other Republicans are simply taking in for a tougher deal. While the subset of party activists who attended the event is not representative of the electorate as a whole, in Texas or elsewhere, the episode portrayed some of the political forces that have struggled to reach a compromise on new gun laws over the past three decades. , despite the public outcry over the recent wave of mass shootings and persistent street violence with firearms. “By no means do I want to convey that I recommend for the mother to be inactive,” Kornin told a news conference in Houston. “And despite what some of you may have heard, the context in which we work is consistent with this red line.” However, the crowd was disapproved. Posts on social media immortalized attendees shouting “No red flags!” – reference to a provision of the pilot agreement which is particularly unpopular on the right – as well as to rubbish bins full of Cornyn cords. The party also adopted a resolution opposing the agreement and reprimanding the GOP senators involved, arguing that “all arms control is a violation of the Second Amendment and our God-given rights”. However, Cornyn told the Texas Tribune the same day that the talks were “very close” to completion. “I think we will be on an upward trajectory to have an account on the floor next week,” he said. He later retweeted a report he had told fellow Republicans: “I never gave in to mobs and I do not start today.” In an effort to prove to Conservatives that the agreement will safeguard rather than limit their rights, Cornyn has focused on provisions that are not part of it: Excluding bans on assault rifles or large-capacity ammunition, universal history checks and secure storage requirements. “The list goes on and on,” Cornyn said Friday. “I said, no, no – a thousand times, no.” As talks resumed last week, there was reason to believe the deal could remain isolated from a right-wing backlash. First, the framework won test support last week from Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) – a major public vote of confidence from a powerful GOP player who had played a key role in eliminating previous compromise efforts. Of the 10 Republicans who signed to the bloc last week, four are not seeking re-election and another five are not ready for re-election by 2026. McConnell says he is likely to support the arms deal as the Senate rushes to vote. However, translating the framework into legislation has proved difficult. In addition to the “friend’s window” issues, another difficult area concerned federal grants to states that Democrats have publicly submitted as an attempt to encourage “red flag” laws that allow authorities to keep guns away. people who are considered to be a danger to themselves or others. . However, many Conservatives are deeply wary of these laws, so Republicans have insisted on structuring grants so that the money is equally available in states that pass red-flag laws and those that do not. According to a summary of the bill, an existing grant program of the Ministry of Justice will be expanded to allow funding for state “crisis intervention programs”, including not only red flag laws but also drug courts and veterans’ courts. The bill provides $ 750 million in new funding for these programs, the summary said. The third important arms provision concerned how to handle history checks for arms buyers under the age of 21. While this group has already been excluded from the arms market, people over the age of 18 can still buy rifles and shotguns, including military-type semi-automatic rifles used in many recent mass shootings. The framework agreement included an agreement to require a juvenile justice inquiry and mental health records for younger first-time arms buyers. However, due to different state systems and standards for searching and maintaining juvenile records, negotiators struggled with the mechanisms of this provision. The bill will include a three-day “enhanced search” window for gun buyers under the age of 21 that will allow local authorities to search confidential databases, according to the bill summary, with another seven business days available to complete the assessment. of these young buyers, if the initial search raises a potential foreclosure issue. While this structure is highly controversial for gun rights advocates, who have long opposed the prospect of creating a de facto waiting period for the purchase of a weapon, the provision for “enhanced search” is about to expire after 10 years. – after which, the bill Architects envision, the records of minors will be regularly integrated into the existing system of direct historical control. Other provisions include new federal arms trafficking offenses and a broader definition that requires arms dealers to register for a federal firearms license, which in turn would require them to conduct background checks on their customers. Other elements of the framework included the creation of a wider network of “Community Behavioral Health Centers”. more federal support for in-school intervention programs. wider access to telegraph services for those who have mental health …
title: “Senate Arms Deal Closer To Reality After Friend S Window Other Stalemates Resolved " ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-13” author: “Jonathan Arnold”
A Senate test deal that would bolster federal arms laws and provide billions of dollars in new money to prevent future mass shootings came to a close on Tuesday after negotiators settled key disputes that had delayed the passage of a law. orbit. to be voted on by the end of the month. The breakthrough came more than a week after 20 senators – 10 from each party – signed a framework agreement that combined modest new arms restrictions with about $ 15 billion in new federal funding for mental health programs and school safety upgrades. While the agreement by 10 Republican senators on a deal was in principle a clear breakthrough, signaling that there could be enough support from the GOP to defeat a Senate adoption, there was no guarantee that negotiators would be able to translate that data. in the final text. But with key disagreements resolved, negotiators said the text of the bill was due to be released Tuesday afternoon, with an initial vote in the Senate coming just hours later. “We talked, we discussed, we disagreed and we finally reached an agreement,” Sen. John Cornyn (R-Tex.), Chief negotiator for the GOP, said Tuesday afternoon at the Senate podium. . He said the text would be widely circulated “very soon, not soon enough for me, but very soon”. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Who led the Democrats, told reporters almost the same thing Tuesday, reiterating that an agreement had been reached and that the draft resulted in a “punctuation of the I and the passage of the T.” . If passed, the bipartisan Safe Havens Act will introduce the most significant new arms restrictions since the 1990s, although it lags behind the broader gun control measures called for by President Biden and other Democrats, such as a new ban. of offensive weapons or restrictions on large-capacity ammunition cartridges. Senators reach bipartisan arms deal, announcing possible breakthrough One issue that was resolved over the weekend was the “friend’s window” – a loophole in current federal law that prevents domestic violence perpetrators from buying firearms only if their victims were either their spouses or their partners with whom they had lived. they had children. The framework proposed extending the restrictions to include offenders who had an “ongoing relationship of a romantic or intimate nature” with their victims. However, defining exactly what constitutes such a relationship was a challenge, as was addressing the GOP’s desire to establish a process that would allow offenders to regain their gun rights. According to the draft text of the ordinance received by the Washington Post, the bill will prohibit a perpetrator of domestic violence who has a “current or recent former dating relationship with the victim” from owning or buying a weapon. What constitutes a “dating relationship” is not precisely defined in the draft text, which would allow courts to make this determination based on the duration and nature of the relationship, as well as the “frequency and type of interaction” between the persons involved. . The text excludes “occasional acquaintance or ordinary twinning in a business or social context”. These offenders will automatically have the right to regain their gun rights after five years, unless they commit further violent offenses or other foreclosure offenses. Negotiations on the bill have run into a self-imposed deadline to draft the bill and enter the Senate this week so it can be debated and voted on before a scheduled two-week break begins Thursday. Although leadership aides say senators could have one or two more days to complete the bill, a longer delay is considered unfounded by senators from both parties. Despite the widespread public popularity of these gun provisions, Republicans are facing a strong reaction from the most conservative elements of their electoral base. Democrats, for their part, are wary of plunging into protracted negotiations amid deep skepticism about the GOP’s willingness to conclude an arms deal. They also fear it could divert political capital from their other priorities this summer – including a possible resurgence of Biden’s party’s economic agenda, formerly known as Build Back Better. After their last face-to-face meeting on Thursday, the four chief negotiators – Cornyn, Murphy, Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) And Thom Tillis (RN.C.) – pledged to work all weekend to reach an agreement. Murphy, the Democrats’ chief negotiator, left an optimistic note, saying progress was continuing. “We will find a way to do this” he said. But Cornyn, the GOP chief negotiator, has publicly taken a tougher line, telling reporters as he walked out of the room that he had “finished” talks on key points of contention before leaving for Texas for the weekend. The next day in Houston, Cornyn was heartily reprimanded for giving a speech at the Texas Republican Party’s annual convention – a live public demonstration of the significant political risk he and other Republicans are simply taking in for a tougher deal. While the subset of party activists who attended the event is not representative of the electorate as a whole, in Texas or elsewhere, the episode portrayed some of the political forces that have struggled to reach a compromise on new gun laws over the past three decades. – despite public outcry over the recent wave of mass shootings and persistent street violence with firearms. “I will not support, under any circumstances, new restrictions on law-abiding gun owners,” Cornyn told the crowd at the Houston conference. “And despite what some of you may have heard, the context in which we work is consistent with this red line.” However, the crowd was disapproved. Posts on social media immortalized attendees shouting “No red flags!” – reference to a provision of the pilot agreement which is particularly unpopular on the right – as well as to rubbish bins full of Cornyn cords. The party also adopted a resolution opposing the agreement and reprimanding the GOP senators involved, arguing that “all arms control is a violation of the Second Amendment and our God-given rights”. However, Cornyn told the Texas Tribune the same day that the talks were “very close” to completion. “I think we will be on an upward trajectory to have an account on the floor next week,” he said. He later retweeted a report he had told fellow Republicans: “I never gave in to mobs and I do not start today.” In an effort to prove to Conservatives that the agreement will safeguard rather than limit their rights, Cornyn has focused on provisions that are not part of it: Excluding bans on assault rifles or large-capacity ammunition, universal history checks and secure storage requirements. “The list goes on and on,” Cornyn said Friday. “I said, no, no – a thousand times, no.” As talks resumed last week, there was reason to believe the deal could remain isolated from a right-wing backlash. First, the framework gained test support last week from Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) – a major public vote of confidence by a powerful GOP player who played a key role in eliminating previous compromise efforts. Of the 10 Republicans who signed the framework last week, four are not seeking re-election and another five are not ready for re-election by 2026. McConnell says he is likely to support the arms deal as the Senate rushes to vote. However, translating the framework into legislation has proved difficult. In addition to the “friend’s window” issues, another difficult area concerned federal grants to states that Democrats have publicly submitted in an effort to encourage red flag laws that allow authorities to keep guns away from individuals considered to be a danger to themselves or others. Many Conservatives are deeply skeptical of these laws, which is why Republicans have insisted on structuring grants so that money is equally available in states that pass red-flag laws and those that do not. According to a summary of the bill, an existing grant program of the Ministry of Justice will be expanded to allow funding for state “crisis intervention programs”, including not only red flag laws but also drug courts and veterans’ courts. The bill provides $ 750 million in new funding for these programs, the summary said. The third important arms provision concerned how to handle history checks for arms buyers under the age of 21. While this group has already been excluded from the arms market, people aged 18 and over can still buy rifles and shotguns, including the semi-automatic military-style rifles used in numerous recent mass shootings. The framework agreement included an agreement to require a juvenile justice inquiry and mental health records for younger first-time arms buyers. However, due to different state systems and standards for searching and maintaining juvenile records, negotiators struggled with the mechanisms of this provision. The bill will include an “enhanced search” window for arms buyers under the age of 21, to allow local authorities to search confidential databases, according to the bill summary, with a total of 10 business days available to complete the evaluation of these young buyers, if there is an initial The search raises a potential foreclosure issue. While this structure is highly controversial for gun rights advocates, who have long opposed the prospect of creating a de facto waiting period for the purchase of a weapon, the provision for “enhanced search” is about to expire after 10 years. – after which, the bill Architects envision, the records of minors will be regularly integrated into the existing system of direct historical control. But…
