Sen. Young indicates possible support for US Senate gun deal
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Sen. Todd Young on Monday said he supported the Senate’s ongoing gun discussions though he still wants to review any final legislation.
The comments from Indiana’s senior senator came a day after a bipartisan group of 20 senators — 10 from each party — revealed they had reached a tentative agreement on changes to the nation’s gun laws. The announcement followed a pair of mass shootings 10 days apart — at a Buffalo, N.Y., supermarket and at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas — that killed a combined total of 31 people.
The deal reportedly would require checks of juvenile court records for any prospective gun buyer under age 21. People who informally sell firearms for a profit would have to get a federal firearm dealer license, which means they would have to conduct background checks and submit to federal compliance checks. The federal government would provide funding for school security and community mental health centers as well as incentives for other states to adopt red flag laws similar to Indiana’s. Such laws allow authorities to temporarily remove firearms from someone deemed potentially violent. The agreement does not include any bans on military-style rifles or changes to the minimum age to buy a gun.
Young’s office said in a statement, “Senator Young supports these discussions and believes Congress can take prudent steps, including incentivizing states to adopt red flag laws and bolstering mental health resources, especially in schools.”
The office of the Republican senator also no bill draft based on the agreement has yet been filed and said the senator would reserve final judgment until he sees a draft.
Sen. Mike Braun’s office said he would not comment until he had a chance to review any legislation. Braun is also a Republican.
Cathy Weinmann, a volunteer with Moms Demand Action’s Indianapolis chapter, said she was ecstatic Congress appeared to be finally acting on gun violence. She said while she would prefer something stricter such as a ban on military-style rifles, she believes the proposals the Senate is considering would curb mass shootings as well as the homicides that take American lives every day.
“Is it everything we wanted? Of course not. You never got everything you wanted for Christmas, did you?” she said. “This is definitely moving in the right direction.”