Former congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona, who survived an assassination attempt in 2011, called for action on gun safety legislation at an event in 2017. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP)House lawmakers are planning to roll out a measure on Tuesday that would require universal background checks for nearly all firearms purchases, as House Democrats attempt to make good on their pledge to address gun control with their new majority. “It’s time to address our gun violence epidemic, and this new Congress will not sit silent.”The new Democrat-controlled House will almost certainly be able to muster the votes to pass a gun-control measure that expands background checks. The measure may even pull along some Republican support: In late 2017, a similar proposal from Thompson and King drew 14 Republican co-sponsors. But it remains unclear whether such legislation could clear procedural hurdles in the Senate, which remains under Republican control.

Source: Washington Post January 05, 2019 23:11 UTC