‘Bipartisan’ Senate Deal on Guns Deemed “Pathetically Weak”

A group of 20 US senators announced a deal Sunday on an outline of a bill designed to give the appearance that they are taking meaningful action.

But gun safety advocates were quick to point out that the deal mostly ignored guns — and rather focused on those areas that the NRA and their Republican supporters prefer the debate to be: mental health and hardening of schools.

“Today, we are announcing a commonsense, bipartisan proposal to protect America’s children, keep our schools safe, and reduce the threat of violence across our country. Families are scared, and it is our duty to come together and get something done that will help restore their sense of safety and security in their communities,” the group said in a statement on Sunday. “We look forward to earning broad, bipartisan support and passing our commonsense proposal into law.”

The “commonsense” deal doesn’t include any of the key provisions gun safety advocates say are necessary:

• No ban on semi-automatic weapons
• No ban on high-capacity magazines
• No 21 minimum age to buy AR-15-style rifles
• No universal background checks
• No safe storage rules at homes
• No requiring background checks on Internet sales and at gun shows
• No banning family members purchasing weapons for their kids

Ryan Shead, a disabled veteran, gun control advocate and Arizona State Rep candidate, tweeted: “This bill is a joke! This makes it sound like mental health is the cause for gun violence. It’s the fucking guns! Funding for school safety? It’s the fucking guns! Do better!! Kids are dying.”

Originally published at Commondreams.org.