Restoring hope for new gun legislation, a pair of key senators — one a red state Democrat and the other a Republican from Pennsylvania — have been working on a measure to expand background checks for firearms purchases, according to a report in the Washington Post published online Sunday.
According to the report, Sens. Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Pat Toomey (R-PA) have been crafting a measure “to require background checks for all gun purchases except sales between close family members and some hunters, which addresses concerns of some conservatives.”
In the months since the mass shooting in Newtown, Conn., polls have shown universal background checks with nearly across-the-board public support.