Lauren McGaun
Following a spate of mass shootings across the United States, the House of Representatives has passed legislation which increases the age limit for buying a semi-automatic gun rifle. It also bans the sale of ammunition storage devices with a capacity of more than 15 rounds.
The legislation successfully passed along partisan lines, with the Democrat controlled-House ensuring an outcome of 223 to 204. Whilst this has come as welcome news to many, the complex bicameral legislative process in the US, means the bill is unlikely to succeed through a split Senate.
Gun Violence is a Huge US Issue
The outcome in the House of Representatives, followed harrowing testimonies from victims of gun violence. The House heard from 11 year old Uvalde school survivor, Miah Cerrilo, who smeared herself with her friend’s blood in a desperate attempt to play dead.
Up to the 5th June, there were at least 246 mass shootings in the United States since the start of the year. That figure is more than days so far in 2022, making the regularity of gun violence more than just a daily occurrence. In contrast, there have been no mass shootings in the UK this year, with gun control legislation imposed after the fatal 1996 Dunblane massacre drastically increasing the safety of civilians.
“the role of lobbying holds considerable influence on voting decisions”
The process of legislation in the US means that bills which pass through the House must then be voted on successfully by the Senate. If the Senate vote is successful, the bill can then be finalised and made into law. As such, this requires legislation to have a broad consensus across the political spectrum. With such a contentious issue as gun legislation, this is unlikely to be achieved. Rather than legislation being passed through a simple majority of 51, a vote of 60 is needed for most legislation, thus requiring bipartisan support from the Republicans.
Gun Legislation is Heavily Disputed
Gun legislation in the US is also not as simple as voting on partisan lines; the role of lobbying holds considerable influence on voting decisions.
The National Rifle Association (NRA) is one of the largest gun lobbies in the US and spends colossal budgets on influencing lawmakers. Founded in 1871, the NRA spends at least $3 million a year to influence US gun policy and also utilises independent donations to boost its funds. For these conservative activists, having easy access to firearms is a fundamental right as a US citizen, as outlined in the second amendment of the Constitution.
Critics of gun ownership argue that continuing to arm the nation without sufficient checks and limits on firearms use is reckless. They argue that current legislation allows innocent lives to be lost far too often.
“It is high noon in America, time for every one of us to decide where we stand on the issue of gun violence,” New York Mayor Eric Adams told the House hearing of Thursday.
He added: “I am here today to ask every one of you, and everyone in this Congress, to stand with me to end gun violence and protect the lives of all Americans.”
Bipartisan negotiations have begun in the Senate in an attempt to resolve gun legislation disputes but fundamental disagreements remain.
Featured image courtesy of Lauren McGaun. No changes were made to this image.
Lauren McGaun
Lauren is a freelance journalist at BBC Politics. She helped set up EJ as Co-Founder and used to be Editor in Chief for over a year. Most evenings you will find her sipping Aperol Spritz whilst watching the news or a documentary.