House Passes ‘Red Flag’ Gun Bill That Senate Most Likely Will Block

The Democratic-controlled House approved a “red flag” bill Thursday that would allow families, police, and others to ask federal courts to order the removal of firearms from people at extreme risk of harming themselves or others. It’s the Party’s latest attempt to act quickly in response to the recent spate of mass shootings since the beginning of May, but it likely stands little chance in the Senate. On Wednesday the House also passed a wide-ranging gun control bill that would raise the age limit for purchasing a semi-automatic rifle and prohibit the sale of ammunition magazines with a capacity of more than 15 rounds. It too has virtually no chance in the Senate.

Nineteen states and the District of Columbia currently have “red flag” laws, but under the House bill, a judge could issue an order to temporarily remove and store the firearms until a hearing can be held, up to two weeks later, to determine whether the firearms should be returned or kept for a specific period. The bill passed on a mostly party-line vote of 224-202 just one day after gun violence survivors and families of mass shooting victims testified before Congress. House Republicans criticized the “red flag” bill as giving the federal government the ability to take a law-abiding person’s guns without them having the ability to contest it beforehand.

President Joe Biden also strongly supports the bill. The White House said it would “make significant progress toward keeping guns out of dangerous hands.” However,  at least 10 Republican senators would be needed to pass the bill, and it seems unlikely they’ll double the number of House Republicans who voted for it: Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, Anthony Gonzalez of Ohio, Chris Jacobs of New York, Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, and Fred Upton of Michigan. Of those five, only Fitzpatrick is seeking reelection.

Retired Marine Corps weapons instructor Matthew Gordon went viral with his TikTok video on gun reform. Hear his opinion on what he thinks America should do with gun control https://t.co/l5xgP1mCkt pic.twitter.com/4owj7FMVgr

— CNN (@CNN) June 9, 2022

See Also

WATCH: After Trump’s Weekend Rants, George Conway Says It’s Time to Read Him His Miranda Rights

“We are painfully aware that we cannot do enough to save every life, and there is no one answer that will solve this problem,” said Rep. Jerry Nadler, the Democratic chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. “But we do know that taking guns out of the hands of people who pose a danger to themselves, or others, would save countless lives.”

Rep. Jared Golden of Maine was the only Democratic member to vote no.