WASHINGTON — In the coming weeks, Congress could take its first major action on gun control in years, after Democrats launched a fresh new push for gun control legislation.
- Bill would expand background checks to include online sales
- Bill would be a tough sell in the Senate
- RELATED: Read HR 8
- Sen. Rubio re-introducing his red flag bill as well
In less than two years, Florida has seen two of the deadliest mass shootings in U.S. history, and while the state's congressional delegation agree that something must be done on the federal level to address the carnage, they have different ideas about how Congress should move forward.
“We in the Democratic Congress have heard your voices, have heard your cry," said Rep. Darren Soto, D-Kissimmee.
After the mass shootings at the Pulse Nightclub in 2016, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in 2017, and Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2018, lawmakers from the Sunshine State are looking for solutions.
“This should have happened years ago," said Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, D-Miami, who lost her father to gun violence when she was 24 years old.
Former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords stood alongside as House Democratic leaders commemorated the eighth anniversary of the shooting in Tucson earlier this month. Giffords was hosting a "Congressman on your Corner" event when a man opened fire and she and several others were shot.
House Democrats introduced new legislation that would require background checks on the sale of any firearm and expand existing background checks to cover anyone attempting to buy firearms online, commercially or at gun shows.
“Ninety percent of Americans support this common sense gun regulation," Soto explained.
While checks are currently required for most gun sales, some private, online, or gun-show sales can be completed without checking a buyer’s record. Some Florida lawmakers don't believe the legislation is necessary.
“My initial inclination is that we should run the current databases we have effectively before we start adding others," said Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Jacksonville.
Congress passed legislation that expanded federal and state reporting to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System last session. Rep. Francis Rooney, R-Naples, believes lawmakers should focus on other issues at hand.
“What we really need to do, and this bill does not do it, is deal with the exception that when you don’t get a background check in a certain amount of time, maybe three days, that they go ahead and sell the gun. I don’t think that’s a good thing," Rep. Rooney explained.
The legislation, which is expected to easily pass in the House, will face a major roadblock in the Republican-led Senate since the National Rifle Association has announced its opposition.
However, some hope passage in the House will put public pressure on Republicans in the Senate to act.
“We plan to put this reform forward. Pass it and encourage our Senate and the president to sign it into law," Soto said.
Sen. Marco Rubio is also re-introducing his federal red flag bill, which encourages states to pass laws to make it easier for courts to disarm dangerous people.