WHEREAS, On Sunday June 12th, a group of senators announced a bipartisan framework for potential gun control policy in response to recent mass shootings. If the framework leads to the enactment of legislation, it will signal a turn from years of gun violence that has yielded little action from Congress; and
WHEREAS, In recent months there has been multiple deadly mass shootings, such as those in Buffalo, New York, Uvalde, Texas, and here in Philadelphia; and
WHEREAS, According to the Gun Violence Archive, as of June 7th the United States has had 246 mass shootings so far in 2022, and more than 18,800 people have died due to gun violence overall this year; and
WHEREAS, The framework was created by a bipartisan group of 20 senators, including 10 Republicans, led by democratic senators Chris Murphy and Krysten Sinema, and republican senators John Cornyn and Thom Tillis; and
WHEREAS, Bipartisan support is crucial because the biggest obstacle to enacting the measure is in the split Senate, where at least 10 republican votes will be needed to attain the usual 60-vote threshold for approval; and
WHEREAS, In its current form, the compromise would make the juvenile records of gun buyers under age 21 available when they undergo background checks. The suspects in Buffalo and Uvalde were both 18, and many of the attackers who have committed other mass shootings in recent years have been young adults. It would also provide aid to bolster school safety and mental health programs; and
WHEREAS, The agreement would also offer money to states to implement “red flag” laws that make it easier to temporarily take guns from people considered potentially violent, and would include the “boyfriend loophole” which would broaden firearm restrictions on those who have abused their romantic partners; and
WHEREAS, The package also aims to crack down on straw purchasers and illegal unlicensed firearms dealers, by requiring more gun dealers to obtain federal licenses, which means they would have to conduct background checks of purchasers; and
WHEREAS, Although much more sweeping reform is needed, such as banning assault-style firearms or high capacity magazines, this compromise reflects important steps in the right direction, and would be the most significant gun safety legislation to pass Congress in decades; and
WHEREAS, While the announcement of a framework is a step towards needed reform, translating it into an actual bill has historically proved challenging with previous attempts for reform failing. It is important to consider the number of lives lost each day while we wait to enact this legislation; and
WHEREAS, We must urge the United States Congress to move swiftly to advance this legislation because if a single life can be saved it is imperative that they act now; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, This Council hereby urges the United States Congress to pass legislation to effectuate the bi-partisan agreement on gun violence prevention recently negotiated in the United States Senate.
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