Reaction to the news of a bipartisan Senate gun reform deal has been split between those who believe the agreement is “historic” and critics who believe the proposal doesn’t go nearly far enough.
The pact was announced late Sunday morning, and has been agreed to by 20 senators — including 10 Republicans. It was brokered by Sens. Chris Murphy (D-CT), Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), Thom Tillis (R-NC) and John Cornyn (R-TX).
Among the key provisions are; funding to help states pass red flag laws, funding for mental health and school safety, closing the so-called “boyfriend loophole” — which prohibits those convicted of domestic abuse from buying a gun, the creation of a federal law against gun trafficking, and enhanced background checks on gun purchasers under 21.
Given the Senate has failed to pass any meaningful gun reform legislation in decades, some hailed Sunday’s announcement as a sign of progress:
But there were plenty of critics who argued the legislation doesn’t go nearly far enough and is more of an only step than a