US: Republicans agree to vote on gun control

(Baonghean.vn) - On June 16, Democratic Senator Chris Murphy ended a nearly 15-hour hearing in the US Senate with the result that the Republicans agreed to hold a vote on a gun control bill with stricter provisions related to checking information of gun buyers and tightly controlling terrorist watch lists.

Senators Chris Murphy (left) and Richard Blumenthal after a nearly 15-hour hearing to convince the Senate on gun control measures.

This is the first breakthrough in more than 20 years in the US Senate on the issue of gun use, appearing after the bloodiest shooting in US history at a nightclub in Orlando, Florida, which killed 49 people. The perpetrator of the incident, Omar Mateen, was once on the list of suspected terrorists.

On this issue, on June 15, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump announced that he would meet with the National Rifle Association (NRA) to discuss banning people listed as terrorists from owning guns. This response was highly appreciated by Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, although she does not support Mr. Trump.

It is unclear what the agreement between the two parties on the vote is, and there is no official word on when or how the US Senate will vote. “We will try to accommodate both sides and when we come to an agreement we will let everyone know,” said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

Republicans, who hold 54 of the 100 seats in the Senate, have repeatedly rejected Democratic demands for gun control measures in recent years, arguing that they violate the Constitution's right to bear arms.

An effort to restrict gun sales to suspected terrorists following a shooting in San Bernardino in December failed, a move by Senator Chris Murphy that could change the landscape of gun control in the US.

The issue of gun control has long been a hotly debated topic across the United States. After the Orlando shooting, lawmakers and presidential candidates faced pressure to respond appropriately. But many Democrats remain skeptical of the results of such efforts.

Thanh Hien

(According to Reuters)