Sen. Lindsey Graham said Monday he will propose bipartisan legislation to encourage more states to adopt “red flag” laws following a pair of horrific mass shootings.
The South Carolina Republican’s announcement came soon after President Donald Trump also called for such laws, which allow police and family members to request that a court temporarily restrict access to firearms to people who may pose an imminent threat to themselves or others.
“I spoke with the President this morning about this proposal and he seems very supportive,” Graham said in a statement. “Many of these shootings involved individuals who showed signs of violent behavior that are either ignored or not followed up. State Red Flag laws will provide the tools for law enforcement to do something about many of these situations before it’s too late.”
Graham said he would soon introduce a bill with Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) that would create a federal grant program to help law enforcement work with mental health professionals to take action when needed, while ensuring “robust due process and judicial review.”
Graham, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, held a hearing earlier this year on red flag laws, which have been adopted by several states and the District of Columbia.
The National Rifle Association says it supports the concept of red flag laws but has not backed any of the state laws that have passed.
Passage of legislation to promote red flag laws in the states would be a relatively modest response to the shootings that killed at least 31 people in El Paso, Texas and Dayton Ohio. But even that may be difficult with GOP opposition to most measures intended to curb gun violence.
Legislation to require background checks of all gun sales faces an even tougher route.
Trump floated action on background checks tied to immigration reform in a tweet Monday morning, but he made no mention of it in an address later at the White House and most Senate Republicans are strongly opposed to the proposal.
Democratic leaders slammed Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell for not bringing background checks legislation passed by the House to the Senate floor. And they accused Trump of backing down from his calls for reform by not citing background checks in his speech.
“It took less than three hours for the president to back off his call for stronger background check legislation,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). “When he can’t talk about guns when he talks about gun violence, it shows the president remains prisoner to the gun lobby and the NRA.”
Article originally published on POLITICO Magazine
Source: https://www.politico.com/story/2019/08/05/graham-red-flag-bill-gun-violence-1448198
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The Article Was Written/Published By: mlevine@politico.com (Marianne LeVine)
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