Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski last Thursday described as responsible and “targeted” a bipartisan bill aimed at addressing the nation’s increasing gun violence. She said the measure represents compromise.
“No, I don’t think that you just say, ‘Alright, we pass this and everything is solved,’” she said in a video conference with reporters. The bill represents what a group of lawmakers could “come together with and say, ‘This is a step in the right direction.’”
She said she believes more can be done to provide mental health services in this country.
The Senate approved the bill last Thursday, 65-33, with enough Republicans voting yes to overcome a filibuster by opponents of the measure. The House approved the bill on a mostly Democratic-led party-line 234-193 vote, capping a spurt of action prompted by voters’ revulsion over last month’s mass shootings in New York and Texas.
President Joe Biden signed the measure Saturday.
The bill would toughen background checks for the youngest gun buyers and keep firearms from more domestic violence offenders. It would also fund local programs for school safety, mental health and violence prevention.
Murkowski called the measure “a thoughtful and targeted approach to the specific problems that have led to several of these mass shootings and a reasoned and rational approach for how we address additional mental health and school safety resources.”
Alaska’s other U.S. senator, Dan Sullivan, voted no on the bill. He said in a prepared statement that he has “serious concerns” about elements of the bill, including provisions that he said were vaguely defined.
Reader Comments(0)