With Democrats in control of Congress and the White House, Americans can expect a series of progressive bills to be introduced. In a budget reconciliation process, the bills can be passed in the U.S. Senate with a simple majority. This is what happened with the $1.9 trillion monstrosity known as the COVID-19 relief bill.
Fortunately, most legislation does not qualify for this designation and will require a 60-vote threshold in the U.S. Senate to pass. With such a requirement, it would seem the future looks bleak for the newly introduced Background Checks Expansion Act (BCEA). This gun control legislation will be subject to a Senate filibuster unless U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) changes his mind.
“Passing this legislation is the bare minimum. It’s the first step in comprehensive action. It’s embarrassing that it’s taken this long in the United States to pass commonsense gun legislation. It should not be the case that for as long as I’ve been alive, this country has not seen a single chance to its gun laws,” said Max Markham, policy director at March For Our Lives.
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The Democratic-led House last Congress passed the Bipartisan Background Checks Act in February 2019. The bill never received votes in the GOP-controlled Senate.
“Its been about getting a vote in the first place. What we know is gun safety legislation in recent times that has passed the House has just gathered dust on [Senate Minority Leader] Mitch McConnell