WASHINGTON (AP) — Senators have announced a bipartisan framework for new gun safety laws.
The senators began working on the legislation after last month’s mass shootings in New York and Texas, which left 31 people dead, including 19 children.
The legislation, which will still need to be written, will center around stricter background checks, red flag laws, school security and mental health programs.
The proposal falls far short of tougher curbs long sought by President Joe Biden and many Democrats.
"Obviously, it does not do everything that I think is needed, but it reflects important steps in the right direction, and would be the most significant gun safety legislation to pass Congress in decades," Biden said in a statement.
Even so, if the accord leads to the enactment of legislation, it would signal a turn after years of stalemate in Congress.
Twenty senators, including 10 Republicans, released a statement calling for passage.
That's potentially crucial because the biggest obstacle to enacting the measure is probably in the 50-50 Senate, where at least 10 GOP votes will be needed to attain the usual 60-vote threshold for approval.