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| Photo Credit: AP. |
A Texas Republican Senator who is part of the team negotiating proposed gun control legislation has walked out of talks with Democrats aimed at striking a deal on a bipartisan bill to curb increasing gun violence and mass shooting in schools and other public places.
Senator John Cornyn played a key role in drafting the
framework of a proposed firearms bill following mass shootings in Texas and New
York, BBC reports.
Cornyn said while departing Washington, "I'm through
talking," according to the BBC.
The bill would require the support of 60 senators across
party lines to avoid a filibuster. The
proposed plan would ensure tougher checks for gun buyers under the age of 21 as
well as cracking down on illegal gun purchases.
The US currently has the highest number of gun violence
among the world’s wealthy nations but moves in the recent aimed at curbing gun
violence has failed to garner the required support in Congress. Americans
continue to die from gun violence that could otherwise have been prevented.
No fewer than 19 students and two of their teachers were
shot died at an Uvalde Elementary School, Texas in a mass shooting incidence
after a shooter barricaded himself in two adjoining classroom and executed the defenseless
school kids who helplessly called the police to no avail. In Buffalo, New York,
a racially motivated killing led to the deaths of about 10 persons at a grocery
store.
The walkout by Mr Cornyn will be greeted with mixed reaction
among families and victims of gun violence who have had to endure increasing brutality
from mass shootings across the US. The BBC quoted a report by Axios, a
political outlet, reporting earlier on Thursday that conservative colleagues of
the Texas senator are frustrated at his handling of the talks and want time to
consider the text of any proposal before it is introduced to the chamber floor.
The bipartisan group of senators has been working on a draft
framework that would tighten gun control across the country. Lawmakers are
expected to vote on the proposal before they leave for a two-week 4 July recess
but Cornyn’s walk out is mostly likely going to make things a bit complicated.
"I don't know what they have in mind, but I'm through talking,"
Mr Cornyn told reporters Thursday, according to the BBC.
"We're about run out of our rope here, and we got to
make some final decisions today if we're going to be able to get this on the
floor next week," he told radio host Hugh Hewitt.
No agreement has so far been reached on the measure.
According to the BBC Connecticut Democrat Chris Murphy and
North Carolina Republican Thom Tillis told reporters later on Thursday that the
group was still inching towards an agreement.
"To land a deal like this is difficult. It comes with a
lot of emotions," said Mr Murphy, who is leading the Democratic
negotiations.
"It comes with political risk to both sides. But we're
close enough that we should be able to get there."
The major disagreements among senators are incentives for
states to enact so-called red flag laws which allows police to seize guns from
people deemed dangerous to themselves and others. The “boyfriend loophole”
which allows abusive partners to buy guns is also under consideration.