House Approves Gun Control Bills, Including Higher Age For Assault Rifles –

WASHINGTON – The House of Representatives on Wednesday passed a package of gun control laws that, among other things, would raise the age requirement for most rifle sales from 18 to 21.

Instead of becoming law, the law will be based on the growing piles of bills passed by the House that are ignored by the Senate. This stack already contains the latest measure requiring a criminal background check for all gun sales.

But the Senate is busier than usual in Buffalo, New York and Waldale, Texas amid horrific mass killings when armed teenagers legally bought weapons to kill more than 30 people, including 19 children. in elementary.

Since last week, a bipartisan group of senators has personally negotiated a compromise bill on arms that would make modest changes to the criminal justice system, increase funding for mental health services, and encourage states pass red flag laws allowing police to carry firearms. From people who pose an imminent threat.

Senators involved in the talks say they are also considering increasing the age requirements for rifle and rifle purchases from 18 to 21, but that’s the case. Republicans are unlikely to support change To make it a final compromise.

Federal law prohibits licensed gun sellers from selling firearms to people over the age of 21, but allows the sale of rifles and shotguns to people over the age of 18.

In addition to raising the rifle age to 21, the House package bans high -capacity magazines, requires parents to keep guns at home, and purchase guns on behalf of third parties.

“There’s no question that kids – and that’s what they are – shouldn’t buy AR -15s until they’re 21,” Congressman Steve Cohen (D -Tenn) said. Weapons used recently by mass shooters.

“It’s proven that the human brain doesn’t develop as long as they don’t trust this type of weapon,” Cohen said. “It’s a weapon of war”.

The law was largely passed through party lines, with support from Democrats, and some members swapped parties on certain provisions.

Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick, a moderate Pennsylvania Republican who has long advocated a higher age for buying guns, was one of 10 Republicans who voted in favor of the bill. He told HuffPost before the vote that high-profile mass shootings were “mostly done by men under the age of 21”.

The chamber did not remove the ban on assault weapons from the law on Wednesday, but House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-California) said the chamber will soon hold hearings on the bill.

Dr. Roy Guerrero, pediatrician from Uvalde, He testified before the House Commission on Wednesday That the victims he saw after last month’s shooting were “powdered with bullets fired at them” so they could only be identified by their clothes.

“Innocent children across the country are dying now because laws and policies allow people to buy a gun until they are legally old enough to buy a pack of beer,” Guerrero said.

While a higher age requirement may have prevented some high-profile mass shooters from buying guns the way they did, Republicans rejected the offer because it greatly undermined Second Amendment rights.

“You could lose speed this year,” HuffPost spokesman Dan Crenshaw, Texas, told AFP. “You mean you’re changing the rules for tens of millions more?”