Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.) made a bipartisan call Tuesday for the Senate to vote on background check legislation, just days after two back-to-back mass shootings killed at least 31 people.
The bill, H.R. 8, passed the House in February but was never brought to a vote in the Senate, which is controlled by GOP Majority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.
"We're saying to Leader McConnell: do the right thing," Minority Leader Schumer said at a press conference, alongside King, at a Walmart near New York City.
Over the weekend, two seperate mass shootings killed at least 22 people at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas and nine people in an entertainment district in Dayton, Ohio.
"If anything good can come from the horrible tragedies of this weekend, it would be if we can get this legislation passed," King said. "This should not in anyway be a partisan issue."
The plea for a vote came a day after President Trump's live address to the nation in which he called for "real, bipartisan solutions" to gun violence.
H.R. 8 — formally titled the Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019 — won passage with a vote of 240 to 190, including support from eight Republicans. The bill would establish universal background check requirements for firearm sales and transfers, and specifically make it harder for those with criminal records and mental illnesses from obtaining a gun.
"McConnell has had 200+ days to pass gun laws & save lives. On average 100 Americans are fatally shot every day as the Senate fails to act," the advocacy group Everytown for Gun Safety said on Twitter. The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence also urged the Senate "to be on the right side of history" and schedule a vote.
In a statement on Monday, McConnell said that "Senate Republicans are prepared to do our part" in response to Trump's call, adding that "partisan theatrics and campaign-trail rhetoric will only take us farther away from the progress all Americans deserve."
Schumer and King both said that they believe the bill, which King co-sponsored, would pass the Senate if it is brought up for a vote.
"It is essential that Leader McConnell brings this to a vote," King said. "He doesn't have to support it, he doesn't have to get behind it. Just let it come to a vote."
"It is a piece of paper," Schumer said as he held up the bill on Tuesday. "But it is a piece of paper that can save lives."
Markets closed the day mixed, and well off their lows of the day following a market meltdown earlier in the session. The Nasdaq staged a comeback late in the day, even amid ongoing worries about the Federal Reserve raising interest rates. Doug Flynn, certified financial planner and co-founder of Flynn Zito Capito, joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss the markets' close and what's driving the major indexes.
Eli Yokley, Senior Reporter at Morning Consult, joins Cheddar News to discuss how Americans are prioritizing economic issues over the pandemic when it comes to voting.
President Biden's disapproval rating hit a new high in December according to a poll from CNBC and Change Research, as Americans expressed their disapproval over the current state of the economy. This comes just months after the president signed a historic infrastructure bill back in November that was promised to bring a surge of jobs, especially in the manufacturing sector.
Change Research Senior Pollster Nancy Zdunkewicz spoke to Cheddar News about just what is driving the President’s disapproval rating.
As the Omicron variant continues to sweep across the country. The US Supreme Court is expected to hear arguments at the end of this week on whether or not the Biden administration can force private companies to vaccinate or test millions of their employees. In addition, the National Nurses United has spearheaded legal action to protect nurses and health care workers, patients, and the public while on the job. President of the National Nurses Union, Zenei Cortez, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Far too often, Americans are forced to navigate a tangled web of outdated government websites, offices way out of their reach, and hours of time 'on hold' to access the simple government services they depend on. A recent executive order, signed by President Biden, is intended to improve, streamline and modernize the 'customer' experience when accessing government services. Mina Hsiang, the administrator of the United States Digital Service, joins Cheddar News to discuss how the tech workforce is impacted by this executive order.
Today marks one year since the January 6 Attack on the United States Capitol. The Country watched as supporters of then-President Trump stormed what was assumed to be the most secure building in the country in an attempt to stop the certification of the 2020 Election. Several lawmakers, including the Vice President, could be seen ducking down as they feared for their lives. Democratic Michigan Representative Dan Kildee, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Stocks closed lower on Friday as investors continue to worry over rate hikes. John Lynch, CIO of Comerica Wealth Management, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where he says value is back in play with investors. Lynch also believes the market has overreacted to the latest Fed minutes, suggesting a bounce-back at some point.
Ben Armstrong, founder of Bitboy Crypto, joins Cheddar News to discuss Bitcoin's downward trend and what's next for crypto after protests in Kazakhstan cause crypto miners to shut down.
Washington, D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine joins Cheddar Politics to discuss his lawsuit against the extremist groups Proud Boys and Oath Keepers over their role in the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Josh Pasek, a professor at the University of Michigan and expert on political communication and misinformation, joins Cheddar News to discuss how political radicalization happens and how America got to this point.
