GOP Senators Face Backlash for Gun Compromise

The Senate’s bipartisan gun legislation is being trimmed as Republicans supporting the framework — including Senators Cornyn and Blunt — try to salvage the deal while also addressing a growing backlash from pro-gun voters and lawmakers in their home states.With zero Senate Republicans up for re-election supporting the effort, negotiators are struggling to reach common ground on key provisions. The text of the bill is expected to be released on Tuesday.Mr. Cornyn, who leads the Republican side of the negotiations, was booed by a crowd while speaking about his support for the bill at the Texas Republican Convention at Houston on Friday.The attendees’ discontent was sustained throughout Mr. Cornyn’s 14-minute speech, in which he defended his support for the framework.“I will not, under any circumstances, support new restrictions for law-abiding gun owners,” Mr. Cornyn said. “Despite what some of you may have heard, the framework we are working on is consistent with that red line.” The senator said the bill contains “more mental health resources, more support for our schools,” and provisions “making sure that violent criminals and the mentally ill cannot buy a firearm.”Yet in a video recording of the event published by a Houston Chronicle reporter, Jeremy Wallace, the end of Mr. Cornyn’s speech was met by chants of, “No gun control.” Another video, published on Twitter by a convention attendee, showed a group shouting “no red flags” even as Mr. Cornyn spoke.The Chronicle also reported that, as Mr. Cornyn called for President Biden and Vice President Harris to be voted out of office, members of the crowd shouted back at him, “You too.” The National Association for Gun Rights, an advocacy group that says it will accept “no compromise on the issue of gun control,” joined in to lambaste Mr. Cornyn following his appearance at Houston, tweeting that he is an “anti-gun senator.”The Texas Republican Party challenged Mr. Cornyn in its 40-page party platform. “All gun control is a violation of the Second Amendment and our God given rights,” the platform approved by a majority of the convention reads. “We reject the so called ‘bipartisan gun agreement,’ and we rebuke Senator John Cornyn.” “I’ve never given in to mobs and I’m not starting today,” Mr. Cornyn said following the speech.Mr. Blunt of Missouri, another backer of the bipartisan compromise, also faced pushback from within his own party. Some 48 members of the Missouri General Assembly released on Wednesday a letter urging Mr. Blunt to withdraw his support for the legislative framework.The letter calls out the proposed bill’s provision of resources to states to enact and enforce “red-flag laws,” which allow law enforcement to temporarily confiscate firearms from persons deemed by a court to be dangerous to themselves or others.“While these types of laws come in a variety of forms, they all share a common attribute,” the lawmakers say. “They authorize the forcible seizure of firearms from people without requiring them to be convicted of a crime.”They went on to argue that the proposal “seeks to allow Congress to deflect responsibility for enacting such horrid laws by essentially punting to the States.” The lawmakers accused Senator Murphy, the Connecticut Democrat leading the negotiations, of attempting to “bribe States with their own tax money to do his dirty work for him.” They implored Mr. Blunt to “stand tall and immediately and publicly refuse to support any legislation that incentivizes or encourages the passage of Red Flag laws or gun control of any variety.”The Republicans who seek to fill Mr. Blunt’s seat after his retirement in January have all denounced the bill, the Kansas City Star reports. Governor Greitens of Missouri has called Mr. Blunt’s support “disappointing.” The Missouri attorney general, Eric Schmitt, called the bill’s red-flag provisions “gun confiscation.” Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler of Missouri said the bill “undermines the right to self-defense.”The office of Mr. Blunt did not immediately respond to requests for comment on whether the criticisms would affect his support for the package.As constituents and lawmakers have admonished some Republican supporters of the bill, Senate negotiations have run into turbulence over what measures will be included.According to the Washington Times, Senate Democrats have agreed to provide federal subsidies equally to states that impose red-flag laws and those that opt for other crisis intervention programs.Current federal law prohibits firearm purchases by individuals who have been convicted of domestic violence if these individuals are also living with, married to, or raising children along with their partners. Democrats have also reportedly scaled back their proposal to forbid gun purchases by convicted stalkers, individuals subject to a protective order, and those who have been convicted of abusing a romantic partner to whom they were not married.The Democrats’ retreat on that point followed Mr. Cornyn’s remarks last week saying the main concern among Republican supporters of the bill was the protection of “due process” when prohibiting firearm purchases. “This is a red line for folks on my side of the aisle,” he said Wednesday.The negotiators have little room for error if they hope to pass a bill that can garner 10 Republican votes and overcome a likely Senate filibuster while also holding all 50 Democrats. So far, 10 Republicans have signed onto the bipartisan framework. Senator McConnell, the minority leader, has also given the effort qualified support. The negotiators, as of now, cannot afford more than one Republican defection.No Republican senators up for re-election in November have signed onto the agreement. Four of the bill’s supporters will retire in January, while another five will not face re-election until 2026.

GOP Senators Face Backlash for Gun Compromise

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