America

U.S. House passes gun-safety legislation as court expands gun rights

Lawmakers celebrate after passage of the law

The House voted 234-193 for the bill. No Democrats were opposed, while 14 Republicans backed the measure. It was supported by major law enforcement groups and its passage was a rare defeat for U.S. gun manufacturers and the National Rifle Association.

House action followed a late Thursday Senate vote of 65-33 to pass the bill, with 15 Republicans, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, in favor.

Biden will sign the bill on Saturday morning, the White House said.

Gun control has long been a divisive issue in the United States with multiple attempts to place new controls on gun sales failing time after time until Friday.

The bill does not go as far as Democrats, including Biden, had sought. It includes provisions that would help states keep guns out of the hands of those deemed to be a danger to themselves or others and close the so-called boyfriend loophole by blocking gun sales to those convicted of abusing unmarried intimate partners. However, it did not ban sales of assault-style rifles or high-capacity magazines.

“The legislation … includes several strong steps to save lives, not only from horrific mass shootings but also from the daily massacre of gun crime, suicide and tragic accidents,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said during debate.

The bill does take some steps on background checks by allowing access, for the first time, to information on significant crimes committed by juveniles. It also cracks down on gun sales to purchasers convicted of domestic violence. It provides new federal funding to states that administer “red flag” laws intended to remove guns from people deemed dangerous to themselves and others.

The Brady gun control group described the “Bipartisan Safer Communities Act” as “the strongest gun violence prevention law in the last 30 years,” and cited the “100 people killed with guns each day” in America. Many of those deaths are the result of suicide.

“Today they (Democrats) are coming after law-abiding American citizens’ Second Amendment liberties,” said Representative Jim Jordan, the senior Republican on the House Judiciary Committee. He was referring to the constitutional right to “keep and bear arms” that conservatives argue should be broadly protected.

On Thursday, the Supreme Court, with its 6-3 conservative majority, struck down New York state’s limits on carrying concealed handguns outside the home. The court found that the law, enacted in 1913, was unconstitutional.

That ruling and the gun-safety legislation passed on Friday illustrate a deep divide over firearms in the United States, weeks after the Uvalde and Buffalo shootings that killed more than 30 people, including 19 young children at an elementary school.

The National Rifle Association, the nation’s most powerful gun lobby, declared the court ruling “a monumental win” for American gun owners.

On Friday it attacked the bill passed by Congress, calling it a “senseless” gun control measure that “will only infringe on the rights of the law-abiding.”

The legislation passed by Congress is seen as modest in scope for a country with the highest gun ownership per capita in the world and the highest number of mass shootings annually among wealthy nations.

In 2020, the rate of gun deaths in the United States surged 35% to the highest point since 1994, with especially deadly levels for young Black men, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a report published on May 10.

 

Source: GNA

Ogyem Solomon

Solomon Ogyem – Media Entrepreneur | Journalist | Brand Ambassador Solomon Ogyem is a dynamic Ghanaian journalist and media entrepreneur currently based in South Africa. With a solid foundation in journalism, Solomon is a graduate of the OTEC School of Journalism and Communication Studies in Ghana and Oxbridge Academy in South Africa. He began his career as a reporter at OTEC 102.9 MHz in Kumasi, where he honed his skills in news reporting, community storytelling, and radio broadcasting. His passion for storytelling and dedication to the media industry led him to establish Press MltiMedia Company in South Africa—a growing platform committed to authentic African narratives and multimedia journalism. Solomon is the founder and owner of Thepressradio.com, a news portal focused on delivering credible, timely, and engaging stories across Ghana and Africa. He also owns Press Global Tickets, a service-driven venture in the travel and logistics space, providing reliable ticketing services. In addition to his media ventures, Solomon serves as a Brand Ambassador for Alabuga, a prominent Russian industrial company, representing their interests and expansion across Africa. He previously owned two notable websites—Ghanaweb.mobi and ShowbizAfrica.net—both of which contributed to entertainment and socio-political discussions within Ghana’s digital space. With a diverse background in media, digital journalism, and business, Solomon Ogyem is dedicated to telling impactful African stories, empowering youth through media, and building cross-continental media partnerships.

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