Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid said Tuesday that Democrats will propose new gun control legislation this week in the wake of the mass shooting at an Oregon community college.
Reid, D-Nev., told reporters after a closed-door meeting with rank-and-file Democrats that they are ready to “move forward” with unspecified legislation.
Reid promised “some press” on the legislation on Thursday. The Democratic proposal is unlikely to receive Senate consideration, however, because Republicans control the majority and the floor schedule, and have historically opposed tighter gun ownership restrictions.
Democrats for years have pushed for tighter gun restrictions, often launching new initiatives in the wake of tragic mass shootings.
A bipartisan bill written in the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings stalled in the Senate in 2013, as mostly Republicans and some Democrats from pro-gun states blocked the measure. That bill would have expanded background checks for gun purchases and banned some semi-automatic weapons and gun clips.
Earlier this year, Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn, R-Texas, introduced legislation to “reauthorize and strengthen” the National Instant Criminal Background Check System to “clarify the scope of mental health records required to be uploaded.”
Nine people were killed last week when a man with mental health problems and a large gun arsenal opened fire at Umpqua Community College. President Obama has called on Congress to pass gun control legislation and said he would also act through executive action to make changes.
