The House Judiciary Committee is expected to vote on a series of gun violence prevention bills on Tuesday as Congress faces pressure to take action in the wake of recent mass shootings.
The Democratic-controlled committee is set to take up measures that would ban high-capacity magazines, “red flag” legislation — which enables court orders to intervene and temporarily prevent someone who is in crisis from having access to a firearm — and a bill to prevent individuals convicted of misdemeanor hate crimes from purchasing firearms. The red flag legislation would set up a federal grant program to incentivize states to establish red flag laws.
Congressional Democrats have called on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to hold a Senate vote on expanded background check legislation that previously passed the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives.
The Kentucky Republican has said, however, that he does not intend to put any gun legislation on the Senate floor unless President Donald Trump says he would sign it into law.
Trump has not yet made clear what legislation he would support.
Behind the scenes, Senate Democrats and Republicans have engaged in a series of talks with senior White House staff about a package of gun measures that could form the basis of legislation. But the White House has yet to formally propose a legislative package because Trump has yet to indicate his preference, according to lawmakers and aides in both parties.
