The United States Congress broke a three-decade deadlock on Friday by passing a gun control law, less than 24 hours after the Supreme Court reaffirm the right to carry it in public.
The gun regulation It is a topic of reference in the United States, both for conservatives and liberals, even more so in times when mass shootings are commonplace.
The House of Representatives, with a Democratic majority, voted in favor of the law that had already been adopted on Thursday night by the Senate and that, while modest, represents the first major attempt to regulate firearms since 1994.
Fourteen Republicans challenged the leader of their caucus Kevin McCarthy by approving the 80-page text together with the Democratic ruling party.
In the High camerawhere projects usually die due to lack of majorities, 15 senators voted along with 50 Democrats.
The parliamentary vote came hours after the Supreme Court’s conservative majority struck down a century-old New York law that required permits to carry firearms in public.
The new legislation includes background checks for younger gun buyers and earmarks funds to encourage states to enforce “red flag” laws to remove firearms from people deemed threatening.
“A long-sought triumph”
The controversial issue of gun control was reignited by two mass shootings in May, one in Buffalo, New York, that left 10 African-Americans dead, and the other in UvaldeTexas, with 31 fatalities, including 19 children.
The Supreme Court ruling had been hailed by gun rights activists, but the vote in Congress took the shine off their celebration.
The Liberals themselves welcomed the passage of the new rule, despite their disappointment at the limited scope of the provisions, which omit any ban on semi-automatic weapons or high-capacity magazines.
Although it does not meet his expectations, the president Joe Biden He viewed the law as a breakthrough after nearly 30 years of unsuccessful efforts in Congress.
“This bipartisan law will help protect Americans,” Biden said in a statement shortly after the Senate vote. “Children in schools and communities will be safer because of it.”
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court’s ruling caused unease among anti-gun activists, but was greeted with applause by Republicans and the National Rifle Association (NRA)the powerful firearms lobby.
“This decision unequivocally validates the NRA’s position and should be a warning to lawmakers: no law that affects individual liberties should be passed,” said Wayne LaPierre, NRA Executive Vice President.
Eric Tirschwell, chief trial attorney for Everytown Law, a nonprofit organization, said the Supreme Court misapplied fundamental constitutional principles, adding that his group was “ready to go to court” to defend gun restrictions. .
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