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WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz on Tuesday weighed in on the bipartisan Senate gun deal that is being championed by fellow Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyn.
Cruz informed reporters on Capitol Hill that he was ready for the main points of the laws earlier than making up his thoughts. But he expressed issues about elements of the proposal that might encourage states to go red flag legal guidelines, whereas calling efforts to spice up college security a “natural avenue for bipartisan agreement.”
“We’ve seen consistently whenever there is a horrific criminal event that Democrats’ top priority is not stopping the bad guys, not stopping the criminals, but rather disarming law-abiding citizens,” he mentioned. “If that’s what they try to push with this proposal, I think that would be a serious mistake.”
The tentative deal, for which Cornyn was the lead negotiator, consists of a mixture of modest gun management proposals and funding for psychological well being companies. It would incentivize states to go red flag legal guidelines, that are designed to maintain weapons out of the fingers of people who pose a risk to themselves or others; enhance funding for psychological well being companies, telehealth assets and extra college safety; allow juvenile information to be included into background checks for purchasers beneath the age of 21; and crack down on the straw buy and trafficking of weapons.
Cornyn began mobilizing in the Senate across the laws after the horrific college capturing final month in Uvalde, the place an 18-year-old gunman killed 19 elementary school students and two teachers.
So far, the laws has been outlined solely in broad strokes.
Cruz was most skeptical about the red flag provision of the laws.
“I have real concerns about the Democrats’ efforts to push so-called red flag laws,” he mentioned. “They have the potential to be a vehicle to disarm law-abiding citizens without protecting due process. So the statutory text on that topic will be particularly important.”
He mentioned he may envision some bipartisan help on school “hardening” provisions, whilst he took a swing at Democrats.
“Enhancing school safety would be a natural avenue for bipartisan agreement,” he mentioned. “The political problem for Democrats is it wouldn’t further their partisan agenda of undermining the Second Amendment.”
Cruz is without doubt one of the prime recipients of NRA donations in the Senate and persistently fights off makes an attempt to restrict gun entry. Cornyn, Texas’ senior senator, additionally touts an A+ ranking from the NRA, however in current years he’s positioned himself as prepared to cross the aisle for very restricted laws in response to mass shootings.
Cornyn already has lined up 9 different Republican senators who’ve signaled help for the deal — sufficient to interrupt via a filibuster.
On Tuesday, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, lent help to the deal.
“I’m comfy with the framework and if the laws finally ends up reflecting what the framework signifies, I’ll be supportive,” McConnell informed reporters Tuesday at his weekly press convention.
Democrats are signaling that just about any Senate-passed gun invoice — even a modest one — will obtain a optimistic reception in the House. On Sunday afternoon, U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi launched an announcement confirming as a lot.
Eric Neugeboren contributed to this story.
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