U.S. Democratic and Republican senators reached an agreement on Tuesday (21) and presented a package of measures to combat gun violence in the country that includes expanding background checks on firearm buyers and more federal funding for health programs. mental.
The proposals are part of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act project, which has yet to be voted on. If passed, this would be the biggest advance in gun control by federal law since the 1990s, when a broad restriction on assault weapons, capable of firing more shots in less time, was adopted. The measure, however, expired in 2004 and was not renewed.
The initial version of the project foresees measures on several fronts. In the background check, screening for gun buyers under the age of 21 would now take up to 10 business days, so officials have more time to review school and mental health infractions.
One of the points of debate was dubbed the “boyfriend loop”. Currently, there are laws that prohibit people who have committed domestic violence from purchasing guns, but only if they are married or have lived with the victim. With the new rule, partners who have other types of relationships, such as boyfriends, will also be able to have restricted access to weapons after cases of violence. The plan also envisions empowering authorities to confiscate weapons from people who are acting in a threatening manner.
The proposal also wants to provide more federal funding to strengthen school security, expand mental health programs and efforts to identify people who could commit shootings. The total value of the package is yet to be defined, but senators interviewed by The Washington Post newspaper said they estimate it will be something around US$ 15 billion (R$ 76.6 billion).
The bill came after two gun massacres shocked the country and fueled the debate for greater control over access to weapons. On May 14, an 18-year-old man killed ten black people at a supermarket in the city of Buffalo, New York. Ten days later, another 18-year-old man killed 19 children and two teachers at a school in Uvalde, Texas.
Agreement on the bill was possible because ten Republican senators supported the proposal. Thus, it is possible to prevent the measure from being blocked by the “filibuster”, a mechanism that allows the opposition to bar agendas that do not have the support of 60 of the 100 senators in the House. Currently, the Democrats have 50 votes, plus the tiebreaker, for Vice, Kamala Harris, and the Republicans, the other 50.
The leaders of both parties in the Senate supported the project. “This legislation is progress and will save lives. While it is not everything we want, it is urgently needed,” said Democratic leader Chuck Schumer. For Republican leader Mitch McConnell, it is a “package that will help make the horrific incidents [com armas] less frequent while fully retaining Second Amendment rights,” a reference to the constitutional norm that guarantees gun ownership in the U.S.
Despite the agreement, there is no consensus among the parties on the proposal. Some Democrats think the plan should have more measures and that mental health actions can reinforce stigma. Some Republicans are against any restrictions on guns, which they consider a symbol of freedom.
The proposal will not need to be approved in the House, because the Senate used a procedure called a “shell bill”, in which the content of the new bill is included in a rule already approved by the deputies and which was awaiting the approval of the senators. The authors of the proposal for greater gun control say they expect the process to be completed by next week, before the Fourth of July holiday recess.
