The bill would direct federal funding to states to implement red flag laws as well as toward mental health and school safety programs.
Additionally, the bill would mandate increased background checks for gun buyers ages 18-21, covering mental-health and criminal records.
National Review’s Charlie Cooke warns that Republicans have given an inch for the Democrats to ultimately take a mile:
“The Republicans who negotiated this deal — “deal” — may see adding a federal waiting period for under-21-year-olds as a narrow exception to the general rule, but the Democrats will not. Within an hour of that measure becoming law, the Chris Murphys of the world will start calling it the “waiting period loophole” and asking in faux confusion why we apply it to Americans aged between 18 to 21 but not to everyone else. And the press, of course, will follow suit.
Worse yet, the GOP will have helped set the precedent that the federal government may micromanage the purchasing process. The 1993 Brady Bill contained a waiting period, but it was valid only until the instant background check system was ready, and then it immediately disappeared. This would restore that system for a subset of buyers. At present, the federal government’s role in regulating firearms purchases is limited to running checks. Once expanded, it will be extremely tough to put it back in its proper place. Is that what John Cornyn wants?”
The NRA blasts the bill, saying “this legislation can be abused to restrict lawful gun purchases, infringe upon the rights of law-abiding Americans, and use federal dollars to fund gun control measures being adopted by state and local politicians. This bill leaves too much discretion in the hands of government officials and also contains undefined and overbroad provisions – inviting interference with our constitutional freedoms.”
As Tucker Carlson put it, “Has there ever been a greater, more brazen sell out of any group of voters than what Republican Senator Mitch McConnell, John Cornyn & the rest are doing right now?”