Bill to Expand Federal Background Checks on All Gun Sales Reintroduced in the Senate

Last updated on July 18th, 2023 at 12:33 pm

A bill to expand federal background checks on all gun sales has been reintroduced in the Senate by Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.). The bill, the Background Check Expansion Act, was also reintroduced in the House by Representative Mike Thompson (D-Calif.).

The Democrat-controlled House passed the Bipartisan Background Checks Act in 2019 but the legislation was never taken up by the Senate, which at the time was controlled by Republicans. 

For the bill to pass the Senate, all 50 Democrats need to be on board. They would also need to secure 10 votes across the aisle to overcome the legislative filibuster.

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“Joe Biden and hundreds of congressional candidates from both parties ran on the issue of background checks. This is the year to get this bill passed into law. And this legislation has the chance to bring this country together – even 85 percent of gun owners believe in expanding background checks, and a growing anti-gun violence movement, made up of both Democrats and Republicans, is demanding change,” Murphy said in a press release.

“It’s not complicated – universal background checks are supported by 95% of Americans and will save thousands of lives,” he also wrote on Twitter.

Alan Herrera

Alan is a writer, editor, and news junkie based in New York.