U.S. Senate gun control bill nears completion; red flag plan contentious

Cornyn, the main Republican negotiator on a bipartisan bill that would expand gun sale background checks and support states that institute "red flag" laws, said "serious progress" was being made behind closed doors. "I spoke with Senator (Chuck) Schumer this morning.

Negotiators on a U.S. Senate gun control bill could finish writing the text of the legislation later this week, Republican Senator John Cornyn said on Tuesday, adding that doing so could clear it for votes by the full Senate as early as next week. Cornyn, the main Republican negotiator on a bipartisan bill that would expand gun sale background checks and support states that institute "red flag" laws, said "serious progress" was being made behind closed doors.

"I spoke with Senator (Chuck) Schumer this morning. He said he would like to have this bill ready to vote on next week and I'm certainly with him in terms of that aspirational goal," Cornyn said, referring to the Senate majority leader who sets debates and votes on legislation. Schumer repeatedly has said he would work quickly to pass the bill once it is written.

But thorny issues still need to be resolved. Cornyn said negotiations were ongoing on the red flag provision, which would allow courts to authorize the temporary removal of weapons from people deemed to be a risk to themselves or others.

The framework deal announced by Democratic Senator Chris Murphy and Cornyn on Sunday would provide federal funding to help states with their red flag laws. Sixteen states already have them on the books, Cornyn noted. But he complained in a Senate speech that there had been a lot of "misinformation" regarding the provision.

With some gun-rights advocates expressing concerns about governments seizing guns from individuals, Cornyn said: "None of what we are proposing would create a national red flag law." The provision should be broadened, he said, so that new federal funding could be targeted at various state programs, such as outpatient treatment programs for people suffering from mental illness.

Ten Republicans, nine Democrats and one independent have joined forces in the Senate on what Democrats are calling a "first step" towards tackling mass murders, such as the recent ones in New York and Texas. In those cases, semi-automatic weapons were used against Black people and elementary school children, respectively.