The House on Thursday passed two bills that tighten gun sales regulations, sending the measures to a divided Senate.
H.R. 8 expands background checks on individuals seeking to purchase or transfer firearms, and the Enhanced Background Checks Act of 2021 would close the “Charleston loophole,” a gap in federal law that lets gun sales proceed without a completed background check if three businesses days have passed.
“This bill is a critical step toward preventing gun violence and saving lives,” Rep. Mike Thompson, D-Calif., who sponsored H.R. 8, said ahead of its passage.
That bill, titled the Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2021, passed 227-203. It received a handful of Republican votes — eight — and had one Democrat vote against. In 2019, the bill was passed with eight Republican votes, five of whom co-sponsored the package.
The Charleston Loophole:
The other bill passed Thursday, H.R. 1446, is linked to the 2015 shooting in Charleston, S.C, where a white supremacist shooter used the loophole to obtain firearms he used to kill nine Black people during a Bible study at Mother Emanuel AME Church. It extends the initial background check review period from three to 10 days.
USA Today
Source: USA Today
