US Capitol in Washington DC.
Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
- The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act advanced in the Senate on Tuesday.
- Fourteen Republican Senators, including Mitch McConnell, voted to support the gun safety measures.
- The bill includes support for states enforcing “red flag” laws and offering mental health services.
The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act advanced in the Senate on Tuesday following a 64 to 34 vote, with 14 Republican senators — including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell voting in support of the bill.
The gun safety bill, which provisions include federal support for states enforcing “red flag” laws, additional funding for mental health services, and closing the “boyfriend loophole,” required 60 votes to advance and will now be subject to debate among the Senators.
The full text can be read here.
The 14 Republican senators who voted to advance the bill were:
- The bill’s co-sponsor, Sen. John Cornyn of Texas
- Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky
- Sen. Roy Blunt of Missouri
- Sen. Richard Burr of North Carolina
- Sen. Shelley Capito of West Virginia
- Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana
- Sen. Susan Collins of Maine
- Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa
- Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina
- Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska
- Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio
- Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah
- Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina
- Sen. Todd Young of Indiana
Senators Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, who helped come up with the bill’s framework and released a statement in support of the bill, and Kevin Cramer of North Dakota did not vote.
McConnell released a statement on Tuesday signaling support for the bill, saying: “Our colleagues have put together a commonsense package of popular steps that will help make these horrifying incidents less likely while fully upholding the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens.”
The bill will be debated by the Senate before a final vote is taken and it moves to the House of Representatives.
