Democrats are preparing to reintroduce several gun control bills, with both fresh hope for success and lingering political realities that have tripped up previous efforts.
Legislation to expand background checks, close a gun sale loophole, and ban assault weapons are all expected in the coming weeks and carry varying levels of likelihood for passage in the Democratic-controlled Congress.
President JoeBiden has pledged to take action to curb gun violence and Democrats now decide what hits the Senate floor, but even bills with some bipartisan support face a tall climb to get the 60 votes necessary to advance.
The key to getting something done is bipartisanship, said Brian Lemek, executive director of BradyPAC, which backs candidates that support gun violence prevention policies.
“I wouldn’t expect to see an assault weapons ban,” Lemek said. “I wouldn’t expect to see things that are more controversial and less likely to gain bipartisan support.”
