Gun Control Is Back on the Agenda    

America’s deadly gun laws aren’t going to change soon 

The ease with which one can buy a gun in America is a bone of fierce contention that has divided Congress for years, with the NRA’s aggressive lobbying managing to thwart most proposals for expanding background checks on prospective gun buyers. The last time Congress was brought to a standstill by the issue was after the Orlando nightclub shooting in June 2016. The terrorist, Omar Mateen, was able to purchase his firearms from a local gun shop two weeks before the shooting. The facts of the case sparked controversy, and Senate Democrats filibustered for 15 hours, demanding to change gun laws. But this too resulted in nothing, and reforms that would materially increase the difficulty of buying a firearm seem as unlikely as ever.

For reforms to pass in the Senate and avoid the filibuster would require 60 votes. The Democrats number just 50 senators, and there’s no chance of ten Republicans crossing the aisle—according to the Washington Post, 19 Republican senators received campaign donations from the NRA as of 2019. The result is that no crackdown on the proliferation of firearms is expected. As we confront another gun control stalemate, here are five takeaways.

1. What do gun control advocates want?

Everytown for Gun Safety has proposed the following reforms:

• background checks on every gun buyer
• enabling authorities to confiscate the firearm of anyone showing warning signs
• preventing those with domestic violence records from owning a gun
• a ban on assault weapons (such as AR-15s) and high-capacity magazines

2. What’s the counterargument?

The NRA and other gun rights advocates have two key responses — one ideological, the other practical.