Schumer says more time needed for U.S. Senate gun legislation

I look forward to discussing the status of those talks with my colleagues today," Schumer -- who, like Murphy, is a Democrat -- said on the Senate floor. Democratic and Republican negotiators hope to reach an agreement by the end of the week after a wave of mass shootings in Buffalo; Uvalde, Texas; Tulsa, Oklahoma; and elsewhere.

Bipartisan negotiations in the U.S. Senate on gun control legislation, which follow massacres at a Texas elementary school and a Buffalo, New York, supermarket last month, will continue amid some signs of progress, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said on Tuesday. "Senator (Chris) Murphy has asked for some space to have the bipartisan talks continue, and I have given him that space. I look forward to discussing the status of those talks with my colleagues today," Schumer -- who, like Murphy, is a Democrat -- said on the Senate floor.

Democratic and Republican negotiators hope to reach an agreement by the end of the week after a wave of mass shootings in Buffalo; Uvalde, Texas; Tulsa, Oklahoma; and elsewhere. The talks have raised hopes of a rare bipartisan agreement on gun-related issues in Congress, which has failed to act after similar mass shootings over the past decade. Most Americans support stronger gun laws, opinion polls show.

Democratic President Joe Biden last week called for banning assault-style rifles and high-capacity magazines, or at least raising the minimum age to buy those weapons from 18 to 21. But those proposals are unlikely to clear the evenly divided Senate as many Republicans are opposed to tighter gun controls.

Instead, Murphy and Republican Senator John Cornyn are considering more modest proposals: encouraging states to adopt "red flag" laws to deny firearms to people deemed a risk to public safety or themselves; upgrades to school security; strengthening mental health services; and doing more to keep guns out of the hands of people who are legally barred from owning them, such as convicted felons. Murphy is meeting with Biden today, according to the White House.

Cornyn is expected to brief his 49 fellow Republicans later on Tuesday. The Democratic-controlled House of Representatives is expected to pass legislation on Wednesday that would establish "red flag" procedures, prohibit people under 21 from buying certain firearms, and tighten restrictions on untraceable "ghost guns." Republicans are expected to oppose those measures.

The U.S. Supreme Court this month is expected to rule on a New York state case that could bring a sweeping expansion of gun rights. Firearms ownership has been one of the most hotly contested issues in the United States.

Gun rights advocates, including most elected Republicans, staunchly maintain that the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution guarantees the right to bear arms. Gun control supporters say permissive U.S. gun laws have contributed to a dramatically higher number of shootings compared with other developed countries. More than 45,000 people were killed by firearms last year, according to the Gun Violence Archive.