Less than two weeks ago, Democrats and Republicans managed to bridge the yawning gap between them on the issue of gun control to pass a measure that tightened down domestic abusers’ access to weapons, and allocated money towards mental health programs and schools.
The bill’s catalysts were the mass shooting at a grocery store in Buffalo, New York and, 10 days later, an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas. While it was the most significant piece of legislation targeting gun violence in decades, it won the support of only a minority of Republicans, and Democrats acknowledged they would have passed much stronger legislation, if they had the votes.
The law was only days old when the latest high-profile mass shooting, at an Independence Day celebration in Highland Park, Illinois, occurred. Congress is in recess this week, and many lawmakers are back in their districts, where they may face calls to do more to stop the massacres – or to ensure continued access to guns.
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Gun violence rattles America again, this time during Independence Day celebrationsGood morning US politics live blog readers. The ink has only just dried on compromise legislation Congress passed last month to curb mass shootings across the country, but on Monday, violence interrupted Americans’ celebrations of the United States’ 246th birthday. A gunman killed six people in a Chicago suburb, while crowds fled an Independence Day celebration in Philadelphia after another shooting injured two police officers.
Here’s what else is happening today:
Politico has obtained a new trailer for an upcoming documentary on Donald Trump’s final days of the White House, which has drawn the interest of the January 6 committee. WNBA star Brittney Griner has appealed to president Joe Biden to seek her release from prison in Russia. Democrats are pouncing on last month’s supreme court ruling overturning abortion rights to try to win back moderate voters who have drifted away. Flight delays at American airports seem to be easing after waves of cancelations disrupted travel during the July 4 weekend.