Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY) and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) urged President Trump on Sunday to endorse House-passed gun measures. The Washington Post reported the duo would join him for a “historic signing ceremony at the Rose Garden” if passed.
The request comes some 200 days after the House passed both H.R. 8 and H.R. 1112, according to washingtonpost.com. Those bills would expand federal background checks for gun transfers and purchases. It also represents a major increase in firearms regulations. Additionally, Trump threatened to veto both measures, according to washingtonpost.com.
Trump on Background Checks
“This morning, we made it clear to the president that any proposal he endorses that does not include the House-passed universal background checks legislation will not get the job done, as dangerous loopholes will still exist and people who shouldn’t have guns will still have access,” a joint Pelosi-Schumer statement said, according to washingtonpost.com.
“We know that to save as many lives as possible, the Senate must pass this bill and the President must sign it,” the statement continued. “We even promised the President that if he endorses this legislation and gets Senator McConnell to act on what the House has passed, we would both join him for a historic signing ceremony in the Rose Garden.”
Meanwhile, Trump “made no commitments” on the measure. He “instead indicated his interest in working to find a bipartisan legislative solution on appropriate responses to the issue of mass gun violence,” said White House spokesman Judd Deere, according to washingtonpost.com.
Ultimately, Trump’s true intentions regarding increased gun control legislation remains uncertain. While he initially threatened to veto both bills, high-profile shootings lead to increased push for measures from the left. In the Senate, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) repeatedly stated he would only support legislation endorsed by the President.
“My members know the very simple fact that to make a law you have to have a presidential signature. … And so, we do, in fact, await word from the White House about what the president is willing to sign,” McConnell said, as reported by washingtonpost.com.
Meanwhile, political rhetoric continues to fly from all directions. The left pushes for gun control measures while the right seemingly continues to dig in. However, above all, this story is far from finished.
