The text, which has been a first on the subject for decades in the United States, strengthens the checks of the history of the youngest buyers of firearms, but does not prohibit the assault rifles.
Le Monde with AFP
In a deeply divided America, an agreement to the congress between elected democrats and republicans is rare, all the more on a subject as divisive as that of firearms. But after a series of deadly shootings, American senators from both sides managed to get along to reveal, Tuesday, June 21, a bill aimed at restricting violence by firearm.
This is “the most important fire -by -fire violence legislation in almost 30 years”, Tweeted the Democratic Senator Chris Murphy . This 80-page text “will save thousands of lives”, he added, but it remains below the measures claimed by the American president Joe Biden.
The parliamentary initiative had been launched after the massacre of Uvalde, which left 21 dead including 19 children in a primary school in Texas at the end of May, and that of Buffalo in New York State, during which ten black people were killed in a mid-May supermarket.
Chuck Schumer, the leader of the Democrats in the Senate, also described the text as “advanced”. “Although it is not all we wanted, this legislation is necessary urgently,” he said in a press release.
The second amendment always protected
The Republican John Cornyn, who worked with Chris Murphy on the project, said that the text was aimed at ensuring that attacks like that of Uvalde are “less likely to occur, while protecting the second amendment “From the Constitution, which allows you to hold firearms.
“I am proud that this bill on mental health and school safety does not impose any new restriction on the owners of laws respectful of laws”, Did he add on Twitter .
The text notably highlights the support of laws, State by State, which would make it possible to withdraw from the hands of people deemed dangerous the weapons they have, according to Mr. Murphy. He also intends to establish the strengthening of the verification of the judicial and psychological history for arms buyers aged 18 to 21 as well as better control of the illegal weapons sale, and the financing of programs dedicated to mental health .
Joe Biden had publicly displayed his support for activists against violence by firearm by reading the measures he wishes to see adopted but who are absent from the agreement between the Senators: Prohibition of assault rifles and chargers with large capacity, checks of history for all weapons buyers -and not only those under 21 -, obligation for individuals to keep their weapons under key.