A report in the Associated Press published Friday indicated that an eclectic mix of Republican and Democratic members of the U.S. Senate are quietly looking for a compromise on legislation that would address background checks for gun sales.
Greg Sargent of the Washington Post reported on Thursday about the deal being worked out between the likes of liberal Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and conservative Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK), who boast “F” and “A” ratings respectively from the National Rifle Association. The other lawmakers involved in the talks are Sens. Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Mark Kirk (R-IL).
From the AP:
A deal, given a good chance by several participants and lobbyists, could add formidable political momentum to one of the key elements of President Barack Obama’s gun control plan. Currently, background checks are required only for sales by the nation’s 55,000 federally licensed gun dealers, but not for gun show, person-to-person sales or other private transactions.
The senators’ talks have included discussions about ways to encourage states to make more mental health records available to the national system and the types of transactions that might be exempted from background checks, such as sales among relatives or to those who have permits to carry concealed weapons, said people who spoke anonymously because they were not authorized to describe the negotiations publicly.
