A bipartisan group of senators announced a deal Sunday on framework legislation to address a recent surge in gun violence in the U.S.
The proposed legislation includes funding for school safety resources, strengthened background checks for buyers under the age of 21, incentives for states to implement their own “red flag’ laws, penalties for straw purchases of firearms, and increased protections for domestic violence victims.
The bipartisan group was made up of 20 senators, including 10 GOP lawmakers, many of which are strong supporters of gun rights and political allies of the powerful National Rifle Association.
With support from those 10 GOP lawmakers, the legislation likely has the votes to overcome the 60-vote threshold to avoid a filibuster in the Senate.
Here are the Senate Republicans who are backing the bipartisan gun reform legislation.
Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas)
Cornyn was among the initial group of nine lawmakers who began discussing gun legislation after the mass shooting at a Uvalde, Texas Elementary school last month that left 19 students and two teacher dead.
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.)
Tillis also played an early role in the gun violence negotiations. He said he was not willing to support raising the age limit of purchasing an AR-15 to 21 years of age, which is high on the Democratic wish-list.
Shortly after the Uvalde shooting, Tillis warned against blaming mass shootings on the proliferation of guns in America.
Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.)
Blunt, who is retiring from his Senate seat at the end of this year, worked with Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) on mental health provisions in the framework package, such as national funding for mental health clinics, which will provide 24/7 mental health crisis responses among other services.
Rob Portman (R-Ohio)
Portman recently told NBC affiliate WFMJ-TV that keeping firearms away from dangerous individuals and implementing safety measures at schools were his focuses in the talks.
Richard Burr (R-N.C.)
Asked about Democratic gun control proposals following the Uvalde shooting, Burr didn’t say specifically what he opposed or supported.
“If somebody’s got a solution to this, by all means, let’s talk about it,” Burr said. “But nobody’s proposed that they’ve got one.”
Mitt Romney (R-Utah)
In a statement on Sunday, he said “Families deserve to feel safe and secure in their communities.”
“Proud to join my colleagues on this commonsense, bipartisan proposal that will save lives while also protecting the constitutional rights of law-abiding Americans. It deserves broad support.”
Bill Cassidy (R-La.)
Cassidy said he was open to discussion on gun reform legislation in the aftermath of the Uvalde school massacre.
Among the initial group of nine lawmakers, Cassidy suggested that “red-flag” laws and expanded background checks were not the right solution to the problem.
Susan Collins (R-Maine)
Collins previously said she would like to see red-flag laws, which have already been enacted in her state of Maine, be part of the bipartisan proposal.
Collins also expressed her support for creating a process for keeping firearms away from those who suffer from mental health issues.
Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.)
Graham has suggested that retired and former military members should provide armed security at schools, joining a chorus of GOP voices calling to “harden” schools against threats.
Pat Toomey (R-Pa.)
Toomey recently told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that he wants to ensure background checks on all firearm sales.
“I certainly remain committed to the idea of the principle of the policy of expanding background checks to cover all commercial sales,” Toomey said last month.
This is an excerpt from The Hill.
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