By
The bipartisan gun reforms being discussed in the Senate are bound to be fruitless.
After a gunman slaughtered 19 children and two teachers at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, we heard the all-too-common refrain from lawmakers that “this time is different" — a tacit acknowledgment that American children should be worth protecting.
Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., struck an even tone last week, saying, “I’ve been Charlie Brown enough times to know that up until now, the football has been pulled out from under me every single time." But he left room for a surprise: “Maybe this time is different.”
However, the more we hear out of the Senate, the less likely it seems that the discussion will result in any substantive measures to curb gun violence.
At least, that’s the vibe I get from Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, who’s leading the negotiations for Senate Republicans. In a speech from the Senate floor on Monday, Cornyn all but assured there won’t be any significant gun violence measures passed by his party.
“We’re not talking about banning a category of weapons across the board, a ban for certain high-capacity magazines or changing the background check system by adding additional disqualifying items,” Cornyn said in the speech.
That seems to effectively lop off assault weapons bans, expanding background checks and raising the age people can purchase an AR-15 from 18 to 21 — policies supported by an overwhelming majority of Americans.
Instead, Cornyn has said he wants to focus on adding juvenile records to the background check system.
Cornyn’s plan seems more designed to save face than save actual people.
“There seems to be a lot of interest in actually getting a more complete record and not just letting people that turn 18 with criminal or mental health records pass background checks like this guy did,” he told reporters Monday, adding, “You can’t look back and see if there would be mental health problems or criminal record problems that would otherwise disqualify an adult.”
It’s worth noting that the shooter in Uvalde didn’t have a criminal record we know of, and there’s no indication he had a juvenile record that would have prevented him from purchasing the gun he used in his attack. Cornyn’s plan seems more designed to save face than save actual people.
That said, Murphy, who’s conducting negotiations with Cornyn, expressed confidence on Tuesday about reaching some sort of deal on guns. “Every day we get closer to an agreement, not farther away,” he said, according to Reuters.
What that deal entails is anyone’s guess at this point. And whether that deal can garner the 10 Republican votes needed to overcome a seemingly inevitable filibuster attempt by the GOP is anyone’s guess, as well.
One thing we know for certain is that the clock is ticking. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said he is giving senators until the end of the week to reach an agreement.