(Newswire.net — December 13, 2017) — Much of the news surrounding Congress these days relates to their Tax Plan, Net Neutrality, and sex scandals. With most of the attention placed on these large stories, other stories go unnoticed. One such story is Congress’s attempt to pass new gun laws, one of which would make gun owners happy, while the other is for gun control advocates. Whether or not these two bills become law remains unknowable, but if they pass, you’ll want to know what’s in them.
Concealed Carry Across State Lines
The bigger of the two proposals is one that would allow gun owners to use their concealed carry permits across state lines. As it currently stands, if you are concealing a weapon, and pass into a state that does not allow these (or has different licensing rules), you are now breaking the law. Proponents of this bill say that we should treat concealed carry licenses like driver’s licenses – in that you don’t have to get a new one each time you enter into another state. They argue that under their Second Amendment rights, they should be allows to carry their weapon into another state, as long as they obtained it legally.
Opponents of this measure argue that it violates State’s rights. States who have worked to put in stronger gun control legislation don’t want it undermined by a federal law. They also argue that in a time where mass shootings are all too common, making it easier to carry a gun into their state puts their residents at risk.
The support for this bill is largely split among party lines, with Republicans pushing for the bill, while Democrats oppose to the measure.
Stronger Background Checks
The other piece of legislation is one that would improve background checks for gun purchases. After discovering that a recent mass shooter in Texas would not have been able to purchase a gun had the background check system performed better, new calls went up to look at this system. As a result, a bipartisan effort is underway to strengthen the federal background check system, and to hopefully reduce the frequency of gun violence.
While the legislation has bipartisan support, some expressed concern about the way in which it is moving forward. Republicans in Congress are attempting to attach this legislation to the concealed carry legislation, mentioned above. Since Democrats do not want to vote for that bill, it would force them to either vote for it, or vote against their own background checks bill. There are several calls to separate the two bills, but it is unclear if this will happen. Republican Senator John Cornyn, from Texas, said to reporters “We have good bipartisan support for (the background check legislation). It’s really important and it will save lives, but if we start trying to add other things to it, then I think we risk not doing anything which has sort of been the fate of a lot of the legislation we’ve tried in the past.”
What Might Congress do in the Future?
Gun control, gun violence, and the right to own a gun are all issues constantly raised in and around Congress. Even if the two pieces of legislation mentioned above were to pass (or completely thrown aside), talks about new ideas won’t be far in the future. So what are some things that Congress might look at?
For starters, some members in Congress have called for a ban on assault rifles, namely the AR-15. The AR-15 has become the most popular rifle in America by far, but it was also used in several of the most recent mass shootings. Congress may look at legislation that eliminates the sale of this weapon, places larger restrictions on who can buy it, or even looks at provisions regarding bulk rifle ammo.
On the other hand, some have pushed for an easing of restrictions on guns. They argue – with the backing of the powerful lobbyist ground, the NRA – that any restrictions on the purchase of firearms goes against the Second Amendment. They will look to block measures that place further restrictions on weapon sales and purchases, while moving to remove restrictions already in place.
Anyone who follows the actions of Congress knows that it is typically a slow-moving process. Even if a new bill came out today, it would likely take months (or maybe years) before it fully became law. Members of Congress will continue to work on the issues however, and eventually something might pass. When that happens you’ll want to know what it means for your individual rights, and how it will impact your life.