Friday 24 June 2022 03:15 PM House quickly picks up gun control bill and will vote on it TODAY trends now
The House of Representatives quickly picked up the gun control legislation that was passed by the Senate Thursday night and is expected to pass the package around lunchtime Friday.
The House Rules committee met at 7 a.m. and voted on a rule for the bill, kicking it to the House floor for debate and a full vote.
President Joe Biden is headed to Germany and then Spain early Saturday morning for G7 and NATO meetings - and could sign the legislation before he departs.
The package is the most significant firearms legislation in decades.
It received a 65-33 vote in the U.S. Senate late Thursday night, after a month of negotiations that eventually found a compromise on one of the country's most contentious political issues.
It passed after 15 Republicans, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, ignored former President Donald Trump's demand they vote against it.
'I don't think I could agree with Senator Mitch McConnell on where to go to have lunch,' remarked Rep. Jim McGovern, a Massachusetts Democrat, as he kicked off debate on the House floor Friday morning.
McGovern applauded the Senate Republicans, also name-dropping Trump ally Sen. Lindsey Graham, who voted for the bill - and asked House GOP members to follow their lead.
House GOP leadership has instructed members to vote against the legislation.
'I know I'm asking you to voite against your party's leadership. I know that's a tough spot to put some of my Republican friends in. But I think at the end of the day, you owe yourself to consider this one idea: what is this bill stops even one mass shooting from happening?' McGovern said.
Democratic Rep. Lucy McBath, whose late son was a victim of gun violence, was chairing the debate.
The House of Representatives quickly picked up the gun control legislation that was passed by the Senate Thursday night and is expected to pass the package around lunchtime Friday
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaks in Washington Thursday. The House of Representatives is expected to pass the gun package Friday
The Senate voted 65 to 34 to end a Republican-led filibuster on the gun reform package, clearing another important hurdle. The Senate passed the bill later Thursday night
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell voted in favor of the gun package, defying former President Donald Trump who said it was the 'FIRST STEP IN TAKING AWAY YOUR GUNS!'
House Republican leadership officially came out against the bill Wednesday.
'This legislation takes the wrong approach in attempting to curb violent crimes. House Republicans are committed to identifying and solving the root causes of violent crimes, but doing so must not infringe upon Second Amendment rights,' House Minority Whip Steve Scalise said in a notice telling House GOP members to vote against the legislation.
Still, some moderate House Republicans are expected to vote in favor of the bill.
Fox News reported Friday morning that the number was expected to be between 10 and 17 House GOP members.
McConnell argued that the bipartisan compromise package would have no impact on Americans' Second Amendment rights.
'Bipartisan talks had started up after horrifying mass murder incidents in the past, but collapsed when Senate Democrats insisted on attacking the Second Amendment,' the Kentucky Republican
