Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Thursday he will not convene a special Senate session to take up gun control legislation, saying instead he and President Trump are crafting bills to tighten federal gun laws when Congress returns from the August recess. McConnell’s claim came as Republican leaders, who have long resisted any new restrictions on gun ownership, come under intense pressure to do something about gun violence following last weekend’s mass shootings in Dayton, Ohio, and El Paso, Texas, which left 32 dead and dozens injured. McConnell told a Kentucky radio station he’s preparing bills to expand background checks on gun purchases, and a “red-flag” law that would allow court-ordered confiscation of guns from a person deemed a threat. The claim drew skepticism from Democrats, who noted McConnell has an “A+” rating from the National Rifle Association. This comes as Moms Demand Action and Ohio Democratic congressmember and 2020 presidential hopeful Tim Ryan completed a 400-mile march to Senator McConnell’s hometown of Louisville, Kentucky, with a rally of 1,500 people. They’re demanding the Senate convene a special session to take up comprehensive gun reform bills passed by the House nearly half a year ago.
Mitch McConnell Says Senate Will Take Up Gun Bills, But Not Until September
HeadlineAug 09, 2019