House Poised To Pass First Major Gun Control Legislation In Over Two Decades. Here's What's In It.

The legislation focuses on background checks, closing a loophole for online and gun-show buyers and extending the initial background check review period to 10 days from three. Although it is the first major legislation to get this far in Congress in decades, critics say it is unlikely to prevent the mass shootings that have sparked a push for more controls because the weapons used in many of incidents were obtained legally and after the shooter passed a background check.

The House this week is set to pass the first major gun control legislation in over two decades, with Democratic lawmakers expected to approve two measures strengthening background checks for all firearms sales. The last time the House put high-profile legislation expanding gun control laws to a vote was in 1994, when it passed the Federal Assault Weapons Ban and made it illegal to manufacture a number of semiautomatic weapons for civilian use. That legislation expired after a decade and was not renewed by a Republican-controlled Congress. (Edmondson, 2/27)

In other gun safety news —

An Arizona Republican has offered a proposal to allow millions of people cleared by the Transportation Security Administration’s Precheck program — designed to make getting through airports easier — to buy a gun without additional investigation. Rep. Debbie Lesko offered the TSA Precheck amendment during the debate over the House Democratic-sponsored bill requiring background checks for all gun sales, including private transactions. Her amendment is set to be voted on on Wednesday. (Bresnahan, 2/26)

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