Congress mulls action on guns

With lawmakers divided and on recess, gridlock seems likely

WASHINGTON — Newtown. Charleston. Orlando. Parkland.

And now after mass shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, Congress again is confronted with the question of what, if anything, lawmakers should do to combat the scourge of gun violence afflicting the country.

Democrats demanded quick approval of gun-control legislation while Republicans looked elsewhere for answers, focusing on mental health and violent video games.

With Congress away from Washington for a five-week recess, and the parties intractably divided, the odds appear stacked in favor of gridlock. But Democrats and some Republicans said this time can and should be different.

“While no law will end mass shootings entirely, it’s time for Congress to act to help keep our communities safer,” said Sen. Pat Toomey, R-PA., as he vowed to again push bipartisan legislation to expand background checks to all commercial firearm sales.

Toomey and his co-sponsor, Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.VA., each spoke with President Donald Trump about the background checks bill and a separate proposal making it easier to take guns away from people believed to be a danger to themselves or others.

Trump “showed a willingness to work with us” on background checks and other measures, Toomey told reporters in a conference call. “He was very constructive.”

Other Democrats put the burden on Trump, saying he should demand Senate Majority Leader Mitch Mcconnell put House-passed bills strengthening background checks up for a vote.

The House approved the bills in February but they have not come up for consideration in the Republican-controlled Senate.

On a conference call Monday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told Democratic lawmakers they have a “golden opportunity to save lives” by pressuring Trump and Mcconnell to act, according to a Democratic aide who was granted anonymity to discuss the private session.

“The House stands ready to return to pass legislation, if the Senate sends us back an amended bipartisan bill or if other legislation is ready for House action,” Pelosi said later in a letter to colleagues.