Republicans, long opposed to gun control measures, may rally behind a top Senate GOP leader’s effort to enhance background check programs in a proposal that has earned the rare endorsement of the National Rifle Association.
Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, who is the Senate majority whip, announced Wednesday he will introduce the Mental Health and Safe Communities Act.
The bill does not expand the existing background check program for those seeking to purchase guns, which would have been a major red flag for many opponents of restrictive gun legislation.
Cornyn, in a summary of his measure, said it would “reauthorize and strengthen” the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, to “clarify the scope of mental health records required to be uploaded.”
The bill also would provide incentives aimed at boosting collaboration between federal and local law enforcement and the courts to stop those who are violent and mentally ill from obtaining weapons.
Cornyn’s bill comes in response to a series of mass shootings by mentally ill men who were able to obtain guns, including John Russell Houser, who earlier this month opened fire on patrons in a Louisiana movie theater.
“While potentially dangerous mentally ill individuals are often known to law enforcement and local officials, gaps in existing law or inadequate resources prevent our communities from taking proactive steps to prevent them from becoming violent,” Cornyn said Wednesday.
Cornyn’s measure may well earn the backing of Republicans, offering a rare opportunity for any kind of gun-related legislation to pass Congress.
But his bill may not win the backing of Democrats, who have introduced various gun control measures that would expand background check requirements, limit who can own a gun or ban certain types of weapons.
Congress last attempted to reform gun laws in April 2013 with legislation that would ban certain assault-style weapons and ammunition clips. The House never considered the bill and the Senate defeated the measure.
At the time, the gun lobby played a key role in killing support for the bill, but Cornyn’s measure so far has earned the endorsement of the NRA.
Democrats, however, may not be as supportive.
They likely will insist on amending the bill to add stricter control provisions, though it may be hard for them to ultimately vote against a bill aimed at addressing mental health and gun violence.
Cornyn’s bill, then, holds the potential to become the first piece of gun legislation to pass Congress in decades.
“This legislation will strengthen programs that promote preventative screening and crisis response training so that we can better understand and treat the factors which may endanger public safety,” Cornyn said.
